Artists – Sharon dipity, Helga Deasy, & Justin Grounds
Landscapes of the Imagination
Skibbereen Community Hospital
Landscapes of the Imagination was a cross-disciplinary collaboration at Skibbereen Community Hospital with visual artist Sharon dipity, dance artist Helga Deasy, and composer Justin Grounds.
This research collaboration follows on from a session in Skibbereen Community Hospital in December 2024. Then, Sharon dipity and Helga Deasy set out to explore different expressive qualities and their relation to space, time, and weight through movement and mark-making with the support of selected pieces of music.
In Landscapes of the Imagination, the three artists sought to explore expressive qualities arising from the imagination through music, movement and mark-making. The main purpose was to reach a high level of creative ambition and quality output with older adults who are living with complex health conditions and high level of cognitive difference.
Throughout the project, the artists aimed to inspire the participants to access their imagination through their senses – visual, tactile, kinesthetic and auditory. Together they explored expressive qualities through gentle movement responding to live music from an expert classical composer and instrumentalist. Participants used special brushes, crafted from natural materials, both as movement props and to capture the explorations on large-scale paper with paint.
Findings
The cross-disciplinary approach of interweaving elements of visual art, movement and music offered participants an embodied and multi-sensory experience. Opening different pathways into creative expression made the work very accessible and inclusive. The use of the props and their tactile qualities over-rode any fear of movement and drawing. Helga Deasy explained that the use of the natural brushes ‘abandons expectations as the brushes do their own thing. It is very freeing, not drawing something concrete. It is about making the mark, which the brushes dictate. Yet everyone’s marks are different and have something of themselves in them.’
Being unable to control the mark in this way, eliminates any worries around drawing ability. Sharon dipity noted, ‘Using the brushes with the movement also seems to take away any fear around moving.’
First making movements without props enabled residents to embody their mark-making. In addition to exploring imagination and expression through the visual, tactile, kinesthetic and auditory sense, the group also focused on the sense of smell. Sharon created brushes with the participants using herbs like sage and rosemary. The beautiful fragrances brought delight, and evoked images and memories which informed the work.
The Artworks
Alongside the natural brushes made by Sharon, participants assembled brushes using aromatic plants like sage and rosemary. With these they created several large paintings and A2 ink drawings. Skibbereen Community Hospital Director of Nursing, Joan Brown, chose one of these paintings to frame and exhibit in the hospital.
Justin also created a short film documenting the project. The film features the participants showcasing their unique movements in connection with their mark-making experience. It is accompanied by original music by Justin. A screening of the film was held at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre as part of Bealtaine Festival 2026.
Celebration
Skibbereen Community Hospital celebrated the close of of the Landscapes of the Imagination project with their own film screening and party.
Justin Grounds explained, ‘We set up the room with the projector ready to screen the film, the large artwork on the wall and another standing on the table under the projector screen. Sharon had brought all the brushes that were used during the project and these were on display on the front table. We had some lovely songs and movement warm-up with Helga and then did our dance movements to the John Denver ‘Annie’s Song’. After that we handed around the brushes and people got re-aquainted with the ones they made or used, and we had some time exploring the sensations of them and the movements we could do, accompanied by my piano music. Then we screened the film for everyone and over tea and cakes we chatted and spoke about it.
Celebrating what we have made is a really important part of a project and holding a party and screening like this really brings that home for everyone. It was also really nice to tie it in with previous work that we could revisit – it reminds people of the creativity and culture in the hospital that they’re all a key part of.’
Timeframe
Landscapes of the Imagination took place between August 2025 and February 2026.
This project was supported by the Arts for Health Partnership Programme.
Images by Sharon dipity.