Posted Sep 30, 2025
Applications have opened for Experience 2025: An Introduction to Arts, Health and the Older Person. This half-day learning programme for artists and arts practitioners of all disciplines takes place online this year, on Thursday 4 December, from 2pm-5.30pm Experience 2025 will aim to outline the essential elements involved in working with older people in an arts and health context, and will feature presentations by some of the most experienced and inspiring practitioners working in this specialised field of practice, including Keynote Speaker Dr Anne Basting. Experience 2025 is presented by Age & Opportunity, the national organisation working to enhance wellbeing for older people, and Réalta, the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Further details below. Places are limited to 30 and cost €10.00 each and will be allocated to suitably qualified/ experienced individuals on a first come, first served basis. Experience 2025 is funded by the Arts Council and the HSE. This is the fifth year of Experience, which was devised in 2021 in response to the need for more training and practical orientation for artists and arts practitioners of all disciplines who already have experience of participatory work in a health context, and who are interested in developing their practice to include working with older people. Participants over the last four years have described the programme as “tangible, well-paced, relevant”; “profoundly encouraging and inspiring”, “refreshing and far-reaching”; “calm and inclusive”; “full of great advice and ideas”; and “so well put together, beyond what I imagined,” with people highlighting the expertise and passion of the speakers, and the opportunity to interact with fellow artists. In...
Posted Sep 29, 2025
Réalta is delighted to be a partner in a State of the Sector Survey, which invites everyone working in creative health across the UK and Ireland to share their experience. We use ‘creative health’ to mean all work with creativity, arts and culture that supports health and/or wellbeing, so if you’re an artist, arts manager/co-ordinator, project co-ordinator, healthcare professional, or any other kind of practitioner working in creative health / arts + health, your voice is essential. By contributing to this survey, you’ll be helping to shape the future of creative health while also supporting greater recognition of its impact. We warmly encourage you to take part. You can find the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSpS1tTx7Tm2jBSet_fB4uhengdI8K75b937Vn0bYv7nO7bQ/viewform By completing the survey, you can also enter a prize draw for £250! The survey will remain open until 12 noon on Monday 10 November 2025. The State of the Sector Survey is a partnership between Réalta, the national resource organisation for Arts + Health in Ireland; the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance; the Wales Arts, Health & Wellbeing Network; Arts, Culture & Wellbeing Scotland; Arts Care (Northern Ireland); the Northern Ireland Creative Health Network; and London Arts and Health. The survey is funded by Arts Council England. About Réalta Réalta is the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Réalta seeks to increase understanding and support for arts and health, and to embed the arts into healthcare provision in Ireland through training programmes; providing information, mentoring and advice; supporting networking, and engaging with the HSE and other policy makers. Réalta encompasses the Waterford Healing Arts programmes and artsandhealth.ie and is...
Posted Sep 28, 2025
Réalta, the national organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland, is excited to announce its upcoming virtual event, Checking In 2025. This online gathering of the arts + health community in Ireland, will take place on Tuesday 4 November from 11am – 1pm. Supported by the Arts Council and the HSE, Checking In is designed to showcase examples of some of the most creative and innovative work devised by leading arts + health practitioners. Open to healthcare professionals, arts practitioners and anyone interested in learning more about the exciting field of arts + health, Checking In is free but advance registration is essential. Click here to book: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/checking-in-2025-tickets-1851281957169?aff=oddtdtcreator EVENT OUTLINE 11am-12pm Part 1: Musical Warm-up with Alan Browne, musician with Réalta’s Waterford Healing Arts programmes, followed by leading examples of current arts + health practice, including: – Tiny Theatre Adventures for babies and children with complex needs at hospital bedsides in Dublin, with Anna Newell, theatre maker – Independent Evaluation of Art at the Kitchen Table with Alison Cronin, researcher – National Creative Arts & Health Working Group: Overview and Update with Catherine Abbott, Arts + Health Manager, The Arts Council – Cut from the Same Cloth: building trust and fostering new connections between women and girls from minority communities in Ireland and biomedical health researchers with Lorna Donlon, artist and Elaine Quinn, Manager, UCD Conway Institute 12pm-1pm Part 2: Following a short break, all attendees who wish to do so will have the opportunity to Meet the Presenters to continue the conversation with a speaker of their choice, and to network with their peers, in virtual...
Posted Sep 12, 2025
Réalta is delighted to announce that bookings are now open for Articulating Boundaries, a continuous professional development workshop for artists working in health settings. Led by artist and art therapist Lucy Hyland, this workshop will provide a reflective space to support artists in developing a deeper understanding of their practice, make informed decisions about the scope of their work, and gain practical guidance on managing expectations. The workshop takes place in person at the Réalta Centre for Arts + Health, University Hospital Waterford, on Friday 10 October, 9.30am–1pm. About Lucy Hyland Lucy is a creativity and wellbeing specialist, exploring the restorative power of making in fostering self-awareness, resilience and meaning. She works with individuals and organisations to create expressive spaces where people can engage their sensory awareness, share their stories and build supportive communities. Through the art of weaving, she entwines the threads of personal and collective wellness to challenge the existing paradigms of care. Lucy interweaves her expertise as an artist, art therapist and arts facilitator to guide deeper connections to self, others and the environment. Booking information Venue: Réalta Centre for Arts & Health, University Hospital Waterford, Dunmore Road, Waterford Date: Friday 10 Oct 2025 Time: 9.30am – 13.00pm Workshop fee: €10.00 To book: Places are limited in order to make this a valuable experience for all participants. Those interested in participating should email claire.meaney@realta.ie by Tuesday 30 September at 5pm with the following details: – Expression of interest: Why you would like to participate in this workshop. (50-100 words) – Summary of arts and health practice. (50-100 words) Further information: info@realta.ie / 051 842664 About Réalta Réalta...
Posted Aug 19, 2025
“I don’t want to rip the skies wide open, I just want my song to be heard” (Corina Duyn) August 14th, 2025 was a very special day. On that day, Corina Duyn, Artist in Care, donated her archive “Little Wings” to our Réalta Arts + Health Library. We are deeply honoured to accept this invaluable resource, which spans over 30 years of Corina’s practice, and includes artworks, images, films, notebooks, diaries, press clippings, and countless other intriguing items. In addition to her boundless creativity, Corina’s attention to detail and her clarity of thought is evident in how meticulously she has recorded her process and catalogued her work. Her generosity and bravery in sharing her innermost thoughts and her methodology are no surprise to us and to anyone who knows Corina, but will surely be a revelation to anyone who is yet to discover this extraordinary artist. Most of Corina’s work reflects her own life and living with ME but, despite decades of challenging health, it is clear from “Little Wings” that she has never lost her belief in the power of art to lift, to sustain and to transform lives. We are thrilled to fulfil Corina’s wishes and to open “Little Wings” to any artist, healthcare professional or arts + health practitioner who would like to visit our library in our Centre for Arts + Health and spend time exploring this beautiful and inspiring gift. To book your place, please email info@realta.ie indicating your preferred date and time. The available times are Monday-Thursday 9.30am-5pm and Friday 9.30am-1pm. Thank you, Corina. Additional Info: Read more about Corina and her work...
Posted Jul 8, 2025
Réalta is delighted to announce a number of upcoming arts and health training opportunities for artists, healthcare professionals, and arts and health managers. These events aim to inspire, build skills, and support best practice across the sector. Articulating Boundaries – Friday, 10 October For artists already working in healthcare settings, this programme will support artists to develop a deeper understanding of their practice, better decision-making around the scope of their work, and practical guidance around managing expectations. Led by artist and art therapist Lucy Hyland, this professional development workshop takes place in person at the Réalta Centre for Arts + Health, University Hospital Waterford. Checking In – Tuesday, 4 November For anyone working in, or interested in, arts and health. Join us for Checking In, Réalta’s online gathering of the arts and health community in Ireland. This event will spotlight some of the most innovative and impactful work happening across the country, offering insights and inspiration from leading practitioners. Experience: An Introduction to Arts, Health and the Older Person – Thursday, 4 December For artists and arts practitioners interested in working with older people in an arts and health context. This intensive learning programme will feature presentations by some of the most experienced and inspiring practitioners working in this specialised field of practice. Presented online by Réalta in partnership with Age & Opportunity. Réalta is the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Réalta seeks to increase understanding and support for arts and health, and to embed the arts into healthcare provision in Ireland through training programmes; providing information, mentoring and advice; supporting networking, and...
