Across 2024 and 2025, we collaborated with five Local Authorities in successfully delivering three projects supported by Creative Ireland’s “Creative Health and Wellbeing in the Community” scheme.
We understand our ‘compassionate communities’ building approach using creativity was instrumental in encouraging Creative Ireland to seek projects uniquely addressing death, loss, grief, and bereavement for this new pillar of creative community engagement. It also aligns our long-standing commitment to the development of an infrastructure around creativity, dying, death, grief, and loss in Ireland.
Our collaboration included capacity development training for creatives and local authorities, and connecting with other Irish Hospice Foundation teams, such as Grief in the Workplace, Advance Care Planning, Dying Well at Home, Think Ahead, Education and Training. We also engaged with state and voluntary agencies, along with organisations such as the All-Ireland Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIPC).
Projects ranged from a Death Positive Library and musical workshops for advance care planning, to addressing perceived under development of 10-year-olds and isolation of older adults in Pobal classified areas caused by the pandemic, to upskilling artists accompanying people to end of life.
Independent evaluations were conducted on each project against objectives set to assess impact, effectiveness, and challenges, as well as identify learnings for future initiatives. The effectiveness of collaboration between agencies, including Local Authorities, Irish Hospice Foundation, HSE, and other partners, was also evaluated.
Visit the Local Authority regions page below to discover more about how these exciting and important projects harnessed the transformative power of the arts to uplift the human spirit at every stage of life.
Art of Life – Cavan County Council
A cross-border project aimed at normalising conversations around planning for end of life, death and dying using creative approaches for a soft engagement approach.
ROAM – Cork City Council
All kinds of creativity were used to nurture curiosity as way to address perceived underdevelopment of youngsters and isolation amongst older people caused by the pandemic.
Care and Creativity in Context – Roscommon & Mayo County Councils
Provision of training, capacity building, artist peer mentoring and residencies for artists working in healthcare settings and private homes to reduce the impact of bereavement, loss, and grief.
