A Dive in Line is a beautifully restrained publication. It celebrates a small number of people living with Parkinson’s disease and their relationship with art and an artist in West Cork.
Visual artist Áine Rose O’Connell worked with participants in Dunmanway Day Care Centre and Community Hospital over winter 2023 through spring 2024. The project was integrated into the participants care through the healthcare professionals partnering on the Arts for Health programme.
‘Its so lovely to try something different, a real privilege. It takes your mind off things’, describes one of the participants, Staff in the Day Care commented on how it benefited participatns, ‘The participant’s are very relaxed and see seem to be benefiting from a beautiful experience’.
Informed by her work as a speech and language therapist, Áine was interested in exploring the connections and lines of thought between art, communication, and health. Áine’s research took an experimental, action-based approach. She worked collaboratively with people and artists with Parkinson’s disease, developing shared understandings. Research theory informed practical activities and methodologies as Áine describes, ‘During one to one sittings participants and the artist shared canvases, slowly developing a dual creative partnership. Back and forth themes emerged during these sittings that concentrated on personhood, the juxtaposition of self and changing self, and the dynamics of connection and disconnection.’
Áine spent a month in residence at Uillinn westcorkartscentre developing her work further, mentored by Composer, Justin Grounds and arts and health Advisor, Justine Foster.
Áine shares her process and findings in A Dive in Line. The publication features in our Bealtaine Festival exhibition running at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre from 1 – 31 May.
This research was supported by Arts for Health Partnership Programme, HSE Cork Kerry Community Healthcare and the Arts Council.