A wonderful evening of words at Crannóg Spring / Summer issue 62 a few weeks back.
Lovely to see my poem, written for my sisters wedding last year, find a home beside so many stunning contributions.
Thanks to the editors at @crannogmagazine for giving it a home.
Not everyday you find your words amongst others on the Irish Book Bestseller List!!
Wonderful to read with the gals lastnight at @charliebyrnesbookshop for this trojan Arlen House publication, acknowledging Catherine Rose and Eavan Bolands editorial work throughout the 1970/80s ✨
Thanks Alan Hayes for the inclusion in a stunning anthology, available to purchase online/in stores
#ArlenHouse #WashingWindowsV
Over the past few months, a collaboration between individuals with Parkinson's and myself began in Dunmanway Day Care Centre & Dunmanway Community Hospital.
Sharing canvas and paper together in one-to-one settings, the possibility of shared creation, teamwork and encouragement of both mutual and self-creativity was enhanced.
Some participatory sessions progress shots are included. The project is ongoing.
With many thanks to generous support and time given by participants and amazing staff
@uillinnwestcorkarts@artsforhealthwestcork@artsandhealth.ie@irishhealthservice@artscouncilireland@corkkerrycommunityhealthcare
Some writing and photos from our recent project at Killybegs Day Care Centre.
Since the majority of the Wednesday group live in or are from Bruckless, it was only fitting to centre the project on responding to and reimagining the village in Donegal, through poetry and visual imagery. We focused on the unique folklore, superstitions, and idiosyncratic history specific to the place.
What a dream to have the pamphlet printed and shared with participants and the healthcare staff.
Grateful to @donegalcountycouncil@creativeireland tourism.culture.gaeltacht for the support.
old residency snap ! 👽
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‘A Dive in Line’ - Art & Parkinson’s Disease, Studio Residency in Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre, December 2023
‘A Dive in Line’ showcased a year-long exploratory project involving six individuals experiencing Parkinson’s disease, Parkinsonism, and/or Lewy Body Dementia, along with healthcare staff in Dunmanway Community Hospital and Day Care Centre, and myself.
The project was supported by a valuable three-week studio residency at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre in December 2023. This residency enabled the synthesis of key research and development, along with critical reflection on the practice-based participatory sessions involving myself, healthcare staff, and participants at Dunmanway Community Hospital and Day Care Centre. More info on the website in bio.
This project was made possible through the an Agility Award from the Arts Council in 2023, as well as support from the Arts for Health Partnership Programme West Cork, Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre, artsandhealth.ie, Health Service Executive, and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (2023-2024).
@uillinnwestcorkarts@artsforhealthwestcork@artsandhealth.ie@irishhealthservice@artscouncilireland@corkkerrycommunityhealthcare
Several weeks ago, three exciting participatory sessions were carried out in Killybegs Day Care Centre, responding to Ute Daly's historical pamphlet 'Walking through local history' (2014).
Nearly all participants in the Wednesday Group in Killybegs Day Care Centre are from Bruckless in County Donegal, which allowed rich, thought-provoking and personalised discursive interactions to unfold when reimagining and rediscovering stories relating to the place.
Eleven participants, healthcare staff and myself discussed, retold, read, listened and critiqued historical stories about Rahan Castle, once a stronghold for the Clan Suibhne around the 13th Century, the Great Bruckless Drowning in 1813 with particular reference to the local witch who then lived in the Rose Cottage, the old Tannery shipping high quality leather from Bruckless Pier in the 19th Century and the life of Communist Thomas Roderick Fforde who lived in the Georgian Manor 'Bruckless House' in the early 20th Century.
Over the sessions, poems were written collaboratively by the group through conversation, free prompts, imagery generation and visual writing. Through the use of collaborative poetry skills, each other’s creative potential, interest and learning was enhanced.
Together poems and visual imagery will be documented in a pamphlet showcasing the collaboration.
Enabling this uplifting and fun Arts & Health project to come alive, a special thanks to @donegalcountycouncil@creativeireland & @tourism.culture.gaeltacht
Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sharing some thoughts with the Arts for Health team at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre about the research project 'A Dive in Line', which explored art experiences for individuals with Parkinson’s/Parkinsonism.
We discussed how creative learning experiences and outputs can be optimised by configuring the environment with a focus on positioning, tone, and communication styles/tips. Additionally, we highlighted the importance of using highly contrastive and visually acute colour choices to enhance attention and choice.
Micrographia, or changes in handwriting, can be an early and distressing symptom of Parkinson's. By sharing the canvas in one-to-one settings, mutual artistic learning and exploratory experiences unfolded between participant and artist, ultimately reframing and celebrating individual linework.
@uillinnwestcorkarts@artsforhealthwestcork@artsandhealth.ie@irishhealthservice@artscouncilireland@corkkerrycommunityhealthcare
Last month, copies of our project outcome book were shared with participants, care-partners and healthcare staff in Dunmanway Community Hospital & Day Care Centre.
The book highlights some of the wonderful artwork and discursive responses to key learnings, created together over the Winter and Spring months in unique one-to-one sessions. During these sessions, canvasses were shared, and person-centred feedback unfolded.
Special thanks to
@uillinnwestcorkarts@artsforhealthwestcork@artsandhealth.ie@irishhealthservice@artscouncilireland@corkkerrycommunityhealthcare
