Ecologies of Care: Mobilising Health Assets within the Arts

Description

What can arts spaces and organisations do to be more inclusive to ‘invisible’ populations?

While access to (and participation in) the arts can be life changing, many people find the path blocked. Evidence suggests that people with severe mental illness tend to be forgotten when social inclusion policies are written by organisations and put into practice. CHOICE seeks to improve the lives of people with long-term mental health problems by tackling the fundamental health and social inequalities they experience.

Guest speaker Aisling Kennedy joined Réalta (formerly Waterford Healing Arts Trust) in 2021 as Project Coordinator and Curator. In this role, she manages the Iontas Arts and Mental Health programme, the exhibitions programme, and the University Hospital Waterford (UHW) Art Collection. Réalta is a national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Locally, it delivers the extensive Waterford Healing Arts programme at UHW.

With expertise in arts programming, curation, and project management, Aisling is passionate about making the arts accessible and meaningful in healthcare environments.

We seek to explore in this seminar how the arts could be more engaged in addressing the health disparities of this population.

Period	15 May 2025
Event type	Seminar
Location	Belfast , United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	National