Participants
Anam Beo projects engage older adults in care and community settings, healthcare professionals, emerging and established artists, and local communities.
For its 20th anniversary celebrations, we will be engaging with these audiences in addition to arts and health organisations, the wider creative community, stakeholders and partners at local and national level.
Aims
Anam Beo values arts and culture to encourage individuality and a community voice for older adults. Through deep listening, engagement, critical thinking and communication, we believe the arts enrich societal health and contemporary culture.
We aim to provide access, appreciation, awareness and enjoyment of the arts to older adults in care and community settings, and to encourage a policy-based approach to the development of arts and health in County Offaly.
Anam Beo encourages self-activations, research and development, and empowerment through meaningful engagements with contemporary arts practices. We envisage that the creative potential of older people is recognised and becomes an intrinsic part of healthcare and life.
The 20th Anniversary Project will honour and showcase two decades of Anam Beo’s contribution to arts and health in Offaly. It seeks to create spaces for reflection, public engagement, and dialogue about the impact of the arts in community and healthcare settings.
The anniversary programme aims to deepen public understanding of creative wellbeing and promote networking and the integration of the arts in health contexts through celebration, discussion, and new collaborations.
Methods
Anam Beo prioritises accessible arts which bring artists and older people together in a mutually beneficial two-way engagement that nurtures and values the different ideas, experiences and skills of those involved.
We provide creative workshops, projects, mentoring and residencies in healthcare and community settings in County Offaly, including acute hospitals, residential care homes, day care settings, health centres and community spaces.
A selection of projects over the last 20 years include:
- Sanctuary: A print-making project for patients in the Renal Unit of the Midlands Regional Hospital, Tullamore (2012).
- Got It? A health literacy project activating a space for critical thinking with older people about how health information is communicated to them within health systems and care facilities (2017 – 2018).
- A Creative Charter for Older People: A live working document to promote creativity in older age (first published 2019).
- Activate a conscious place for living: An exploration of inclusion, social health and placemaking for arts and cultural advocacy, with rural and urban designers, artists and local communities (2019).
- Music on Our Doorstep: Live music in residential and day care settings delivered by Offaly-based musicians and funded by Creative Ireland (2023).
- Did I Ever Tell You? A tri-county storytelling project funded by Creative Ireland collecting the thoughts and memories of older people in HSE healthcare settings across Kildare, Offaly, and Westmeath. Anam Beo is working in partnership with Offaly County Council to deliver the Offaly-based project in 2024-2025.
20th Anniversary Project
In 2025, Anam Beo marks 20 years of impactful creative engagement with a dynamic retrospective showcasing our evolving role in regional arts, health, and community. In this milestone year we will bring together like-minded individuals, key stakeholders, and advocates for a rich programme of exhibitions, roundtables, and discussions.
At the heart of the gatherings is a thought-provoking symposium at Esker Arts in October, designed to connect communities, creatives, and supporting organisations. Through shared experiences, critical reflections, and forward-thinking discussions, we will celebrate the transformative power of the arts in health while thinking about its future direction.
Through thoughtfully curated exhibitions, Anam Beo is inviting participants and viewers to discover the diverse and innovative projects that have supported wellbeing and demonstrated the vital role of the arts in health. By bringing together diverse voices, we aim to foster dialogue, inspire new collaborations, and advocate for continued investment in this essential area.
Artistic Outputs
The 20th anniversary celebration integrates a wide range of artistic practices including visual arts, film, poetry, storytelling, and music. It uses both archival and contemporary works to explore the creative legacy of Anam Beo. Programmes include:
- Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival (1-9 August): Sign, Symbol, Word: Anam Beo exhibitions and events at Birr Castle, Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, Birr Community Nursing Unit.
- Exhibitions including a retrospective at Esker Arts Centre on 4 October featuring artwork, archival materials, and films. Participation in live readings, screenings, and community engagement.
- Workshops: Engaging sessions across centres in drawing, collaging, and storytelling.
- Symposium: Who, What, Where Next? on 17 October features roundtables, panels and talks with artists, health professionals, and stakeholders. The artistic approach is grounded in social practice and co-creation, emphasising meaningful interaction, empowerment and inclusion through the arts.
Events can be viewed on the 20th Retrospective page of the Anam Beo website.
Evaluation Methodology
The artists use reflective qualitative and quantitative participant and audience feedback forms, stakeholder interviews, and network meets to gather information and measure impact.
Evaluation Outcomes
‘We have heard and read the many heart-warming testimonials and uplifting moments from patients and staff that have been in that creative space with Anam Beo artists….the significance of its quiet yet powerful impact…the innovation, dedication and warmth that the Anam Beo artists have brought to their work… It is a story that needs to be heard more and their artwork reflects beautifully on the ongoing journey that is our personal and creative wellbeing.’ – Sinead O’Reilly, Former Arts Officer, Offaly County Council (Mapping Arts and Health across the Midlands, 2021)
‘Anam Beo supports the needs within our community, in terms of social inclusion and positive healing, encouraging creativity, individual empowerment and an expressive voice. It takes a particular skill on the part of an artist leading on such projects to bring out the artist in every participant, with an ethos that is non-judgemental, process-driven and the ability to recognise the creative potential within every individual.’ – Sally O’Leary, Arts Officer, Offaly County Council
Documentation and Dissemination
The 20th Anniversary project is being documented via photography, video, written reports, and digital publications. Dissemination channels include Esker Arts Centre, Anam Beo’s website, social media, local press, and public presentations.
Partners
Offaly County Council Arts Office has worked in partnership with Anam Beo since 2005, to support and promote the benefits of the arts within a healthcare environment in Offaly.
Ongoing partners include HSE Dublin and Midlands Older Persons Services, Offaly Public Participation Network, Age Friendly Offaly Alliance, Offaly Older Peoples Network, Creative Ireland, and Esker Arts.
20th Anniversary Project partners:
Esker Arts Centre
Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival
Birr Castle
Birr Community Nursing Unit
