National Centre for Arts and Health, Tallaght Hospital

Mission / Aims

The National Centre for Arts and Health, text to replace with Tallaght Hospital, exists to improve patient care and to promote the benefits of arts and health. The centre aims to improve the hospital experience for patients and visitors, to explore the therapeutic benefit of the arts, to build positive links with the local community and to make the arts accessible to patients who cannot access traditional venues.

Areas of activities

• The current arts programme includes exhibitions, live performances, creative writing classes, arts therapies, design projects and participatory art sessions on wards and waiting rooms.
• The hospital arts programme features a number of national innovations and strives to promote best practice in arts and health, through professional development, research and evaluation.
• Notable innovations include Composer in residence Ian Wilson, Orchestra in Residence The Irish Chamber Orchestra, an art therapy programme for children with diabetes and cystic fibrosis in hospital,  music therapy in psychiatry and Age Related departments, a singing programme for babies and guardians and many more programmes. The Centre has a significant portfolio of publications in peer reviewed academic journals regarding aesthetics and health.
• The centre also offers consultation and advice to services establishing arts and health programmes and regularly gives presentations on its work within both medical and arts settings.

Artform(s)

Architecture, Dance, Film, Interior Design, Literature, Multidisciplinary, Music, Street Theatre, Theatre, Visual Art