What's New
Event
Sharing Stories: A collaborative exhibition between CHI staff and artist Peggie Mc Keon
6 February, 2025
News
A deep dive – Luci Kershaw reflects on her arts and health practice
2 February, 2025
News
Launch of WISE: Artists and Older People Network
1 February, 2025
Event
Discover & Dream – Arts + Mental Health Networking Event
31 January, 2025
Event
Well Festival of Arts & Wellbeing 2025
29 January, 2025
Opportunity
Professional Diploma in Art and Health 2025 – NCAD / Creative Futures Academy
23 January, 2025
Explore
Reflection
Reflecting on arts and health practice by Luci Kershaw
Luci Kershaw is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work explores health topics and themes, as well as more traditional practice within the area of arts and health. Luci was awarded the artsandhealth.ie Emerging Artist Bursary in 2024 and has spent her time exploring how to embrace more collaborative approaches to sharing people’s stories through sound and film.
Perspective
Finding my ‘guth’: The Lump vs the Irish Language
Irish surgeon Dr Denis Burkitt discovered Burkitt's lymphoma. Belfast filmmaker Éanna Mac Cana was treated for this cancer when he was 19 years old. His documentary feature, Burkitt, combines his personal experiences as an inpatient with an exploration of the life and work of Dr Burkitt. Éanna discusses how he began re-learning the Irish language while making Burkitt and how finding his ‘guth’ (voice) created an environment for healing.
Case Study
Compassionate Culture Networks Across Munster
Irish Hospice Foundation have been developing a Compassionate Culture Network across Ireland since 2021. These are spaces facilitated by artists for people to gently explore loss and how compassion connects through a variety of creative practices. Initially supported by Creative Ireland, additional support from Rethink Ireland’s Impact Fund for Munster enabled expansion across Munster in 2023.
Resources
Policy
PAINT Policy Brief: Bringing Arts Activities into Kidney Haemodialysis to Improve Patient Outcomes
The PAINT Policy Brief has been co-created by patients, families, researchers, healthcare and arts practitioners with an interest in or personal experience of kidney disease. It addresses the profound impact of haemodialysis on the mental health of patients and advocates for arts activities as a way of managing the emotional challenges and finding meaning and connection during treatment.
Mapping
A Multimethod International Mapping Exercise of Arts Interventions in Renal Units: The PAINT Project
The aim of the PAINT project was to undertake an international mapping exercise to identify the current provision of arts programmes in kidney centres for people living with kidney disease. The arts activities being offered globally and experiences of renal healthcare staff who provide activities in their units are encouraging in terms of arts in healthcare.
Research
Arts Engagement as a Health Behavior: An Opportunity to Address Mental Health Inequities
This U.S. study uses an applied social ecological model of health, showing how arts engagement can support mental health and reduce mental health inequities at the individual, interpersonal, community, policy, and cultural levels.