‘Did I Ever Tell You’ offering creative health and wellbeing

Westmeath, Offaly and Kildare County Councils are working together on a creative health and wellbeing storytelling project called ‘Did I Ever Tell You’.

It aims to collect the thoughts and memories of older individuals in HSE healthcare settings in the three counties through a variety of creative engagements and artistic mediums.

Artists in each county will collaborate with residents of nursing homes and patients in hospitals till December 2025, using creative arts to enhance wellbeing, support mental health, and promote positive ageing.

Selected stories, reflections and creative content from each county will be published in a book, celebrating older voices and the impact of arts in these health settings.

The project is supported by Creative Ireland under the Creative Health and Wellbeing in the Community Scheme, and is a collaborative effort involving the three counties with contributions from local Age Friendly, Healthy Ireland, Creative Ireland and HSE teams.

The collaboration was launched yesterday, December 4, with an artist networking event, bringing together the artists from each county for collaboration and idea sharing.

In Westmeath, the Fighting Words arts collective will engage with residents at Cluain Lir Community Nursing Unit in Mullingar and St Vincent’s Care Centre in Athlone to share their stories and memories, resulting in a collective book that encapsulates their experiences.

An animation piece will be developed in the second year to extend the impact of the project; and residents’ families will receive keepsakes they can keep and pass down.

In Kildare, the project will take place in Naas General Hospital through a new artist in residence programme which will host visual artist and Kildare native John Conway. John will develop a project informed by ongoing engagement with service users with life limiting conditions, healthcare workers, and the wider hospital environment. He said: “The format of a year-long residency is an opportunity to slowly develop relationships in the hospital, and to undertake artistic research to build towards a significant artistic output.” John is a socially engaged visual artist renowned for his work in complex health and community contexts.

Offaly County Council has joined forces with Anam Beo Arts Collective, who have engaged four visual artists, a writer and musician to connect with older adults in care and community settings including Clara Day Care and Riada, Ofalia, and Birr Community and Nursing Units.

Kildare County Council are lead partners on the project, organising the intercounty elements and an impact evaluation.

Sonya Kavanagh, chief executive, Kildare County Council, said: “We delighted to partner with Offaly and Westmeath County Councils to bring sustained creative opportunity into nursing homes, care centres, and our own Naas General Hospital.

The enthusiasm from HSE staff and our talented project artists form a bedrock for the project, which we hope will bring moments of positivity, connection, and creative self-expression for patients, residents, their families and staff.”

John Conway, artist in residence, Naas General Hospital; Lisa White, End of Life Care coordinator, Naas General Hospital; Brian Pey, Age Friendly officer (acting), Offaly County Council; Camilla Fanning, project coordinator for ‘Did I Ever Tell You’; Bernadette Jackson, Point of Care manager, Naas General Hospital; Julie Spollen, Artist Liaison and Projects manager, Anam Beo; Gemma Harkin, Creative Ireland Programme; Laura Buckley, assistant arts officer, Kildare County Council; Margaret Egan, Community Development Dept, Westmeath County Council; Paula Barrett, assistant arts officer, Kildare County Council; Lucy Tormey, resident artist at HSE Cluain Lír Nursing Unit, Mullingar; John Grogan, memoir facilitator for Anam Beo and Fighting Words; Colm Quearney, development and outreach officer, Fighting Words; Colleen Werle, Creative Communities engagement officer, Kildare County Council; Ruairí O’Shea, musician with Anam Beo; Rowena Keaveny, artist and company secretary, Anam Beo.