Opportunity: Training for Artists for Healthcare Settings

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office is seeking expressions of interest from professional artists, who are already working in or are interested in working in healthcare settings.

This training opportunity will build artists’ capacity to engage with older people in local healthcare settings through their artistic practice. This opportunity is open to artists from any artform.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLR) Arts Office has invited Sarah Cairns and Tess Leak to deliver three lively and comprehensive sessions for professional artists. The training will provide opportunities to explore ways of collaborating and delivering multi-sensory projects in healthcare settings, inclusive of people with cognitive and other differences. Participating artists will receive vital dementia and communications training specific to their needs in the healthcare settings and hands-on creative practices. This opportunity is part of the Let’s Get Social DLR Programme 2024-25 funded by Creative Ireland and the HSE, supported by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. 

DLR Arts Office has been working with local services and national organisations to deliver arts and health programmes since 2007. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County has one of the fastest ageing populations in the country. We are seeing increasing need for skilled artists to work with older people in healthcare settings across the county. This opportunity builds on two previous Creative Ireland funded Creativity in Older Age programmes and the HSE funded Arts and Health Programme, aiming to build capacity and sustain the creative practice that has evolved locally in the county in creativity and wellbeing. 

This opportunity will offer ten artists three training sessions in DLR LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire with Sarah Cairns and Tess Leak. Lunch will be provided and artists will be given a small fee of €100 per session payable on attendance.

Dates and Times

• 10.30am – 3.30pm, Monday 23 September 2024
• 10.30am – 3.30pm, Monday 14 October 2024
• 10.30am – 3.30pm, Monday 27 January 2025

To apply, proposals must include and outline of your professional arts practice and an expression of interest that details the following: 

• How this training opportunity could be of value to your practice now? 
• What might the benefit/impact be from the insights gained from this opportunity to your practice? 
• Confirmation of availability for all three of the dates for training, please note that it is essential that you are available to attend all three sessions.
• Two examples of relevant projects in support of your proposal. 

For more information, visit the DLR County Council website. The closing date for proposals is 2pm on 12 August 2024. If you have any access requirements, please contact Máire or Ciara in DLR Arts Office by emailing arts@dlrcoco.ie or calling (01) 236 2759.

Image courtesy of Stedman Photography and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.