Creative Carers
Creative Carers is a community-based strand of the Arts for Health Partnership Programme in West Cork, initiated in 2022. The programme creates opportunities to engage with the arts, for and with family carers. The diverse and inclusive programme, delivered by professional artists from various disciplines, takes place at carers’ homes, in arts spaces, and in community settings across the region.
“Myself and my father (Ted) absolutely loved the artist’s weekly visits. It was a beautiful journey of music, memories and swapping of stories… It also brought me out of the humdrum of caring into a lovely space of connection.” “Ian is so happy after his music session and the joy it brings into our home is immeasurable so long may this programme continue in West Cork.” – Participants at Home
Creative Carer Series
Weekly group workshops exploring visual art or music in a social and relaxed way, delivered by artists in an arts or community setting.
Creative Carers at Home
A series of one-to-one sessions with an artist to research and investigate ways to embed creative engagement in our lives.
Bringing Art Home
Bringing Art Home continues a legacy of remote working to reach those who are not able to leave their home. Artist led-project that invites participants to collaborate on a given idea to invite creative engagement via the post.
Carer Events
Organised with community coordinators to present once off events in community spaces such as drop-in workshops, concerts, exhibitions, and information check-in points.
The Creative Carers programme welcomes family carers who care for an older adult, or who are themselves an older adult. The programme aims for participants to benefit from a blend of arts and health objectives including access to the arts and artists practice, peer support, community network building, and creative engagement.
Creative Carers is delivered in many different forms. This is to ensure that family carers have as many access points into the programme as possible. All strands are delivered by artists with a high level of expertise working in an arts and health context and are supported by a healthcare partner. Most of our Healthcare partners are Community Link Workers, sometimes day care coordinators or hospital nursing staff depending on the location or the community we are working with.
CURRENT CREATIVE CARERS WORKSHOP SERIES
Clonakilty
Creative Carers Coffee and Music Meets with Justin Grounds
A chance to connect with others and explore your own creativity through music. Chat, listen, create, compose over a hot cup of tea or coffee!
10:30am – 12pm, Samara Centre
Friday 7 March 2025
Friday 4 April 2025
Friday 2 May 2025
Friday 4 July 2025
Email Justin at artsforhealthcomposer@westcorkartscentre.com with any questions or to join the group.
Skibbereen
Creative Carers with Sarah Ruttle
Take a moment to be creative, relax, and connect with others at Sarah’s visual art workshops.
10:30am – 12:30pm, Skibbereen Community & Family Resource Centre
Tuesday 16 September 2025
Tuesday 23 September 2025
Tuesday 30 September 2025
Tuesday 7 October 2025
Tuesdays 14 October 2025
Tuesday 21 October 2025
Please contact Gráinne at 028 23572 or email opcworker@scfrc.ie with any questions or to book your free place.
Dunmanway
Creative Carers with Bénédicte Coleman
Family carers are invited to join Arts for Health visual artist Bénédicte Coleman for a series of fun and relaxing art workshops. No previous experience necessary and all materials provided!
10am – 12pm, Dunmanway Family Resource Centre
Tuesday 15 April 2025
Tuesday 29 April 2025
Tuesday 13 May 2025
Tuesday 27 May 2025
Tuesday 10 June 2025
To book your free place, please contact Debbie on 083 3943336 or call Dunmanway Family Resource Centre on 023 8856818.
Mizen & Sheep’s Head
Creative Carers with Sharon dipity
Sharon dipity facilitates monthly art workshops for family carers throughout the year. Warm and welcoming, they are the perfect place to meet others with shared experiences, and take some time to be creative.
Ballydehob Community Hall
Wednesday 23 April 2025
Wednesday 25 June 2025
Wednesday 30 July 2025
Wednesday 24 September 2025
Wednesday 29 October 2025
Wednesday 26 November 2025
To book your place or for further information, please contact Lorna Harte on 087 4001763.
Bantry
Creative Carers with Sharon dipity
Visual artist Sharon dipity will facilitate a monthly Creative Carers art workshop in The Westlodge Hotel, Bantry. Come along for a morning of creativity and relaxation.
10.30am – 12.30pm, Historical Rooms, The Westlodge Hotel
Thursday 8 May 2025
Thursday 5 June 2025
Thursday 3 July 2025
Thursday 4 September 2025
Thursday 2 October 2025
Thursday 6 November 2025
Thursday 4 December 2025
Thursday 5 February 2025
To book your place or for further information, please contact Gemma Casey on 087 9103036.
Beara
Creative Carers with Bénédicte Coleman
To be announced…
Bantry
In The Picture with Sarah Ruttle
May 2025
CREATIVE CARERS REPORT 2022
Throughout the programme, participants have generated some wonderful artistic outputs, such as individual artworks, new musical compositions, and exhibitions of their work. However, the connection, and relational aspect of the art process remains the programme’s main focus.
A full year evaluation took place in 2022, carried out internally by staff at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre. The collection of data and analysis was carried out by Phoebe Cotton and overseen by Justine Foster.
The key outcomes were largely positive:
- With a total of 76 participants in 2022, the programme made progress in establishing connections with the home carer community in three areas of West Cork.
- The structure of the programme, including different settings, activities and group or solo work, sought to make participation as accessible as possible to people providing care at home. It catered to their different needs and interests. This was largely successful as evidenced by the positive feedback from participants in the At Home strand and Uillinn workshop series, and expressed interest from participants and artists in continuing both.
- Artists felt that their work on the Creative Carers programme had contributed positively to their own creative practice. The opportunity to work with carers complimented and provided a new perspective on their existing work with people in a care setting.
In 2025, we are continuing to build a network of community workers in Local Link and family resource centres to extend our geographical reach.
If you are interested in getting involved or would like to find out more information, please email us at info@westcorkartscentre.com or call 028 22090.