Irish Hospice Foundation will host an “Arts, Grief and Loss Skills Exchange” in Letterkenny, Donegal exploring how creative compassionate communities and skilled professional therapists can work together to support people in grief and loss.
Irish Hospice Foundation’s Arts and Creative Engagement programme piloted as a response to the pandemic when all citizens were affected by loss, some by extreme loss, and during a period where normal patterns of grieving were disrupted.
Now they are developing the programme with generous support from HSE National Lottery Funding.
This Exchange will develop better understanding between professionals in health, and professionals in creativity as the foundation for increasing Compassionate Communities.
Arts, Grief and Loss Skill Exchange, Donegal
Why use creativity and the arts to explore loss?
The arts help people process sensation into meaning. The process of making something allows people to think and feel differently. Crafting settles the mind. Creativity opens the spirit. We know from our pilot programme, linking experienced artist-facilitators with a wider public in properly resourced sessions, initiated meaningful conversations on death, dying, and bereavement, while signposting other health related services available locally for those in greater need. This has multiple positive health benefits.
Why connect Health Care Professionals, Artists, Craftsworkers and Creatives?
People can help themselves with creativity. Various professionals help people in other ways. Better understanding should make it possible for both to better support those in need.
What’s happening and when?
Over two days in Letterkenny, on January 20th and February 9th Artists, Crafters, Cultural practitioners, Art Therapists, Expressive Therapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Health care workers, Link Workers and people with a particular interest in this area are exploring different approaches. Cancer Care West, Artlink and Letterkenny Regional Culture Centre are all bringing their support. A groundbreaking initiative in Donegal.
More and Related Events?
In the near future areas of Ireland will have a different types of health and care service, where arts and medical care combine to support people in grief, informed by two days in Letterkenny and projects Irish Hospice Foundation are leading.
Want to know more? Register to join the Irish Hospice Foundation’s mailing list, or email the arts team dominic.campbell@hospicefoundation.ie
