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Image shown: Care Hubs of Arts & Creative Excellence: Philippa Donnellan
Age & Opportunity has announced the five artists and six care settings participating in the Care Hubs of Arts & Creative Excellence initiative 2020/2021. This initiative builds on learning and knowledge gathered from Age & Opportunity’s previous residency initiatives which centred on thoughtful and bespoke arts experiences for older people in care around Ireland.
The key aim of the initiative is to generate arts and care skills and knowledge in six regions around Ireland. Artists’ residencies are at the core of the initiative taking place from January to April 2021, bringing imaginative and engaging new arts experiences to the residents, staff and families of the care settings.
These residencies will bring the benefits of arts participation to up to 125 older people who either live in or visit care facilities and 125-250 staff, families, artists and the wider community.
Liz Clark will bring music to Castleisland Day Care Centre, Kerry and Raheen Community Hospital, Clare. For her project Homeplace, participants will compose a song, connecting us to our homeplace and our relationship to it. At the end of this project, the participants will perform this song, engaging the local community choir/ local musicians to showcase the work to the wider community.
Maud Hendricks and Bernie O’Reilly (Outlandish Theatre Platform) will explore with residents of John’s Community Hospital, Sligo and Killybegs Community Hospital, Donegal, a pivotal moment in their lives. Through an exploration of this moment, they will co-create an installation piece to share amongst family, friends, carers and the wider public.
Philippa Donnellan and Olwyn Lyons will bring dance to Clonskeagh Community Nursing Unit, Dublin and Naas Day Care Centre, Kildare. Participants will have the chance to exercise, engage and artistically explore – and to celebrate their life and work in a series of specially choreographed performance events in story, song and dance.
The Care Hubs of Arts & Creative Excellence initiative is funded by Creative Ireland’s Creativity in Older Age Programme, with support from the Arts Council of Ireland.
For further information visit
ageandopportunity.ie/age-opportunity-will-bring-music-dance-and-theatre-to-people-in-care-settings-throughout-ireland/