Artist – Elizabeth Rose Murray & Sarah Ruttle
A Life Lived
Schull and Skibbereen Community Hospitals, & Bantry General Hospital, St. Joseph’s Ward
A Life Lived is a collaborative project between Arts for Health participants at Skibbereen Community Hospital, Schull Community Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Ward, Bantry General Hospital with artists Elizabeth Rose Murray and Sarah Ruttle. The project evolved from a love of storytelling in all its forms, and aimed to incorporate poetry writing and drawing. The final result was the publication of a beautiful booklet showcasing the created works.
Menu of Poems 2023 included the wonderful poem ‘Unlegendary Heroes’ by Mary O’Donnell. In May of the same year, inspired by the publication, residents at Skibbereen and Schull Community Hospitals decided to write a poem in a similar style with Arts for Health artist Elizabeth Rose Murray. Over the following weeks and months, the group revisited and revised their poems numerous times – listening aloud to what they’d written and adding more residents’ stories as they joined the conversation. They edited word choice, considered line order, and added new lines based on memories, ultimately deciding that they would like to publish the finished pieces.
In September of the same year, Sarah Ruttle brought the poems into St. Joseph’s Ward, Bantry General Hospital where residents responded to the stories through lively discussion and delicate drawings. These drawings would become illustrations for the collaborative poetry pamphlet, bringing participants’ words to life. The group tried new approaches, like drawing with their eyes closed, to see what worked well. Some participants drew self-portraits, while Sarah drew portraits of others.
The group finalised their poems and drawings in December, chose titles, and tied up loose ends. The final poems, ‘Down Memory Lane’ and ‘Unsung Heroes’ reflect individual and collective experiences, and the collaborative poetry writing and drawing project encouraged shared conversation between healthcare settings.
Book Launch
The participants with Sarah and Elizabeth launched the eagerly awaited booklet in March 2024 in Schull Community Hospital. The work was presented in Skibbereen Community Hospital when Christopher Bailey (Arts and Health Lead, WHO) visited West Cork in March, and it was also included as part of Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre’s Bealtaine Festival Exhibition in May 2024.
The completed work represents the communities that connected through this project and show how, in the words of one of the contributors, ‘a life lived is a life loved’.
Timeframe
May 2023 – May 2024
Testimonies
‘It’s so nice when you come. You give us inspiration.’