Opportunity
Image shown: Artist Boyer Phelan delivering an Art Kart session on the Paediatric Ward of University Hospital Waterford. Photo by Hugh O’Brien Moran.
Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT) is seeking to recruit a professional artist to deliver the Art Kart, an inspiring art programme for children and young people, in the Paediatric Ward of University Hospital Waterford (UHW). The Art Kart is delivered twice a week and is an artistic and creative response to the needs and vision of young patients.
Established in 2003, the Art Kart sees a professional artist bringing a brightly coloured refurbished medicine trolley, packed with high quality art materials, to the bedside of young patients and engaging them in art making as a diversion and relief from some of the worry they may experience in hospital. This patient-centred programme is an ideal opportunity for the right person to apply their talent and expertise to a rewarding and fulfilling role.
In addition, as a member of the WHAT team of artists, the Art Kart artist will have access to administrative support from the WHAT staff, peer support from fellow artists and continuous professional development training opportunities within the field of arts and health.
‘The Art Kart has a very special place in our hearts here at Waterford Healing Arts Trust. A welcome sight in the corridors of the hospital, the Art Kart has proved invaluable as a positive diversion for children, encouraging them to explore and develop their own creative resources and to simply have some fun. Artist Boyer Phelan was our Art Kart artist for 16 years, brightening the lives of hundreds of children, and their families, in the midst of difficult times. As Boyer recently retired, we are now looking for the right artist to continue this important programme at University Hospital Waterford and bring their own skill and creativity to the role.’ – Claire Meaney, Director of Waterford Healing Arts Trust
Full Role Description & Application Process
WHAT_Art Kart Artist for Paeds_job_description
Applications should be submitted by email only to claireA.meaney@hse.ie by Monday 16 August at 5pm.
Enquiries should be emailed to what@hse.ie or phone Maeve Butler on 051 842664.
About Waterford Healing Arts Trust
Established in 1993, WHAT provides opportunities for patients at University Hospital Waterford and other healthcare settings to experience the arts through music, visual art and creative writing initiatives. Core funded by the Arts Council, WHAT believes that the arts contribute to the wellbeing and vitality of society and that engaging with the arts stimulates the participant’s sense of identity and creativity. WHAT supports the development of arts and health in Ireland and manages the national resource website artsandhealth.ie
