News
Cloudlands, Helium’s latest Artist in Residence project, commenced at the end of November in Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, Dublin; Galway University Hospital and Cork University Hospital. Cloudlands is a performance arts and technology project for teenagers with chronic illnesses. The project places an artist in residence in each of the three hospitals where they will work collaboratively with patients to develop new work based on the participants’ stories, interests and experiences.
The following artists were chosen for their innovative ideas and sensitivity towards participatory arts practice with teenagers in hospital: Rachel Tynan (Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street), Emma Fisher (Galway University Hospital) and Eszter Nemethi (Cork University Hospital).
Cloudlands will use an online creative space where artists and teenagers will share their work and connect across the three hospitals, encouraging communication, collaboration and peer support. The online technology will be further developed as the project progresses with the input of the young people and a team of technologists.
The project provides teenagers who have to spend significant amounts of time in hospital with the creative tools to re-imagine their situation and to participate in professionally run arts engagements that have nothing to do with illness. Award-winning artist and director, Mark Storor (UK), who has extensive experience of working in hospital settings, will be mentoring the artists throughout the project.
The first phase of Cloudlands will take place between November 2012 and July 2013. To learn more about the artists in residence please visit http://helium.ie/wordpress/index.php/cloudlands-artists-in-residence-announced/
Cloudlands is produced by Helium Arts and is funded by the BNP Paribas Foundation Smart Start Programme, The Medtronic Foundation and The Arts Council. Cloudlands is further supported by The Ireland Funds, The Community Foundation for Ireland, Dublin City Council, the National Lottery through HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster, Galway University Hospital Arts Trust, HSE South, Cork City Council, and Cork University Hospital Arts Committee.
