Caring for Creativity at Roscommon Arts Centre

Caring for Creativity at Roscommon Arts Centre brings together works by artists who had residencies in local care settings in Roscommon over the past year. Curated by Andy Parsons, the exhibition explores what is given by the artists – and what they receive in return. The idea of reciprocity, an exchange of inspiration and ideas, is the theme that connects the varied work in the exhibition.

The artists have been facilitating creative sessions in Sacred Heart Hospital & Care Home Roscommon, Plunkett Community Nursing Unit, Boyle and Aras Mathair Pol Community Nursing Unit, Castlerea. The residencies programme is a collaboration between Roscommon County Council Arts Office and HSE Older People Services.

The artists share an openness to the profound experience of working in care settings. They have shared their creativity with many people and these interactions have informed their creative process, which is thoughtful, experimental and at times playful. Some work is directly inspired by the artist’s experiences in the care settings. These visual recollections focus on the colour, textures and forms they have seen.

Some artists have chosen to foreground materiality and the act of making, demonstrating an enjoyment of and immersion in the sensory and haptic qualities of the materials and processes they have developed.

Another strategy used by artists has been to take the resources and procedures they have developed to facilitate residents’ creativity as a starting point. By doing this they have distilled the creativity from their workshops and brought it into the gallery to share with the viewer.

Other artists have developed narrative or conceptual responses that meditate on profound themes such as ageing. In each instance the works in the show stem from the unique encounter with residents and staff in care settings.

Exhibiting artists
Sarah Ellen Lundy, Emma Brennan, Catherine Donnelly, Marian Balfe, Veronica O’Connor and Andy Parsons.

Caring for Creativity is taking place as part of Bealtaine Festival 2024, Ireland’s national celebration of the arts and creativity as we age. 

The residencies programme was funded by the HSE CHO2 Older People Services and delivered by Roscommon County Council Arts Office as part of their C.A.R.E. Programme (Creative Ageing in Roscommon). 

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