Arts + Health

Kiltipper Woods, National Arts in Nursing Homes Day Awardee 2022

Smiling Dog Collective: Bones of Contention at MTU Gallery, 2025

Image credit: Saolta Arts

Saolta Arts
Saolta Arts runs the west of Ireland’s leading Arts and Health programme as a means of improving the hospital experience for patients, staff and visitors. Saolta Arts believes access to the arts promotes wellbeing and enhances the hospital environment. Since 2003 we have provided a multi-disciplinary programme of events and activities, including exhibitions, participative workshops, music, theatre and poetry. https://saoltaarts.com/

Arts + Health: Check Up Check In 2023. Image credit: DGM Photographic.

Réalta is the national resource organisation dedicated to strengthening and advancing Arts and Health in Ireland. Réalta encompasses artsandhealth.ie, an independent resource website, and the Waterford Healing Arts programme.

“I have realised that my strengths are with people and working with people, communicating and engaging and not about great pieces of artwork. I have succeeded because of the process, because of the work done along the way, the research, and most importantly how I had worked with and supported others. So really these are the skills that I need to utilise.”

She considers how to find and approach participants, the ethical dimensions of her practice, what forms her work might take. She notes what Hartley and Payne have said about working successfully with ill people, that artists need “to understand their own relationship with the art forms they might use before engaging on a process of working with such people in healthcare settings.” She is reminded that when working with vulnerable people, the artist also needs to mind herself.

Luci recounts the mentoring she has received from artist Marie Brett, who often works in healthcare contexts with a special interest in hidden or stigmatised Irish experience.

“Mentoring makes you stop and take a breath and really look at the work you are doing or hoping to do. It examines the reasons behind the work, the aims and objectives and explores the potential. If you get the chance, grab it, with both hands, however experienced you are. To explore your work from another professional’s perspective is essential to your own development and prevents you walking blindly into the night.”

Postcards by Luci Kershaw (2020)

Through her research and conversations, Luci has developed a method for approaching projects, which she is using to inform two separate strands of her practice:

  • The first strand involves large projects that focus on specific topics, asking detailed questions that require research, expert advice, and could evolve into significant collaborative art pieces or events. Luci’s current project, The Menopause Project, is investigating how we can normalize conversations around menopause through art.
  • The second strand is more general, adaptable, and can be used in different settings. It prompts simple questions that lead to rich conversations. This strand is one that Luci is hoping to apply to working with older people. Her Inspirational Postcards Project involves people designing postcards that reflect something that inspires or comforts them.

“This opportunity has enabled me to rekindle areas of interest that I have found myself shying away from due to fears of getting it wrong or imposter syndrome, lack of confidence or having been stung. It has opened doors to conversations that I have been inspired by and made me take a deep dive into my practice in a way I have only half-heartedly done before.”

Luci’s reflection has taken the form of living documentation via an interactive landing page on her website. Selecting any of the topics on this page will take you to a dedicate page of research, conversation or thoughts on that particular matter, with fresh insights added as Luci progresses her work and learning.

Her reflections to date have been collated as a longform essay on artsandhealth.ie:

Read Luci’s Reflection

PHOTO CAPTION: 28 January 2025 Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing 2025 launches exciting lineup - over 30 FREE local arts events Artist Rica Shimabukuro, musician Liam Merriman and artist Christina Drennan pictured at the launch in Waterford of the programme for the Well Festival of Arts and Wellbeing 2025. Taking place in venues across Waterford from Monday 17 to Saturday 22 February, the Well Festival of Arts & Wellbeing features an inspirational line-up of over 30 fun, FREE and sociable arts events f

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