To celebrate National Arts in Nursing Homes Day, we’re taking a closer look at the wonderful collaboration that takes place between our artist team and the incredible healthcare staff working in Community Hospitals across West Cork!
Here, visual artist Sarah Ruttle chats with Activities Coordinator at Schull Community Hospital, Margaret Hayes. They are working together to consider creative approaches to engaging with residents with visual impairments. This collaboration developed into Sarah’s research projects Beyond the Darkness and Blossoming Beyond the Darkness.
Can you explain the focus of your arts and health research project?
Sarah: This research started from a conversation with healthcare staff who asked how the artist could develop work and creative engagements with a growing number of participants with visual impairments. Part One R&D focused on developing ways of working by having conversations with an invited focus group of Arts for Health participants with Visual Impairment. Part Two R&D looked at making sensory resources which could enhance engagement of higher dependency participants.
What have been the key moments of your research project so far?
Sarah: In Part One, working with participants with experience of living with vision loss I learnt not to presume what I think might work myself, but from the very start was reminded it needed to come from the participant. What works for them, how they feel comfortable in engaging creatively. Together we found creative writing drew our focus alongside tactile elements. Developing descriptive story-telling brought a richness and real connection in our conversations.
During Part Two I researched other projects which have been developed to support people with different stages of dementia. I gave textile samples to participants to observe how they chose to use and engage with them. This helped me to refine my ideas on how to create some sensory resources. I made these with the aim of bringing joy and promoting ‘in the moment’ living.
How can learning from this research be brought into the healthcare setting?
Margaret: It’s all about inclusion. It’s nice that someone with visual impairment is not in the dark and not left in the dark. And it’s important to get everyone’s feelings and thoughts.
Sarah: Margaret inspired me to carry on making sensory pieces, building on what I’ve learnt so far! She was curious about creating a sensory apron. I have recently worked with participants developing a collaborative project making a series of aprons inspired by the kitchen and land.
Each session I have with the participants I bring and offer a selection of elements to encourage them to join me in making. I have learnt that ‘in the moment’ making needs to continue to grow through a variety of tactile and visual cues to stimulate conversation with the participants. This requires flexibility on my part as a facilitator. If there is a finished piece of art created, in order for the participants to continue to engage with what they have made there is potential in creating a piece that is interactive.
How do you think this research can benefit your residents?
Margaret: It’s good to have something to catch, to hold, or even to smell. Using different things and approaches make real connections. For example, if you can hear that bird singing, you remember their song. You can know and feel that bird is there. It’s about talking the language our residents understand.
What are the next steps for your research project?
Sarah: I hope to investigate the potential of developing a collaborative project in making more complex interactive sensory resources for higher dependency participants. I will be meeting with Justin Grounds, an Arts for Health musician and composer, at the start of my third R&D phase to think out the direction this could take. I will continue to investigate other research projects that have been undertaken in this field and link with other groups that have an interest in this area.
What is one of the positives in connecting with Arts for Health artists?
Margaret: We share and swap a lot of ideas, it’s the best way forward. We both think about the person, how they might see something or what might draw their focus. Together with all of us you can get a better insight of a person and their feelings. It helps when you know the person and it takes time to find that key, to find those triggers or memories that might work to connect.
Thank you to Margaret and Sarah for sharing their thoughts and time with us. National Arts in Nursing Homes Day celebrates the everyday creativity taking place in care settings all over Ireland.