Check Up Check In 2019, Waterford

Create are delighted to partner once again with www.artsandhealth.ie / Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT) to present Arts + Health Check Up Check In 2019.  Following the tremendous success of Check Up Check in 2018 and marking the opening in 2019 of the new South East Palliative Care Centre at University Hospital Waterford (UHW), the theme of this year’s event is Promoting Autonomy, with presentations highlighting the potential for arts programmes in healthcare settings to explore ways for individuals to engage, discover and create, even when faced with a challenging health condition.  In his keynote address, Disruption, Danger and Discipline: When the Artist becomes Leader…, Nigel Hartley will reflect on the role of the artist in end of life care and the artist as leader.  He will further share his vast experience and offer practical advice for negotiating the challenges of working in this important and rewarding area in a workshop setting later in the day.

Check Up Check In 2019 takes place on Thursday 11th April at Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford and is open to healthcare professionals, arts practitioners and anyone interested in learning more about this exciting field. This will be followed on the 12th of April by a workshop with artist Marie Brett, titled “Sustaining the self”. Marie will look at the concept and practice of self-care for artists who work in difficult or demanding healthcare settings.  Drawing on her extensive experience, Marie will share ideas and creative strategies for a nourishing and reflective practice, fostering supportive networks and working towards sustainability.  This workshop will take place at Waterford Healing Arts Trust, with support from Create.

Check Up Check In provides opportunities for participants to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and support and inspire each other in their practice through a range of themed presentations, including:
– What’s My Practice? – A series of workshops examining methodologies employed in collaborative/participatory arts and health practice, involving a range of artforms;
– Sticking Points: What to do when you get stuck – Artists and healthcare professionals share challenges they have faced in their work and look for solutions to overcome them.
– Arts and Dementia – Case studies of Training Notes, Waterford Council’s training programme for musicians in healthcare settings, and Open Gallery, Waterford Healing Arts Trust’s art project on the hospital ward, both of which have a particular focus on people living with dementia.
– Hospital Voices – A conversation with composer Eric Sweeney and poet Edward Denniston, reflecting on their experience as WHAT/UHW Artists in Residence 2018 and the creation of a choral work, in collaboration with patients and staff, to mark the 25th Anniversary of Waterford Healing Arts Trust.

Check Up Check In 2019 is organised by www.artsandhealth.ie / Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT) and Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts, with local partners Garter Lane Arts Centre and Waterford City and County Council Arts Office, and is funded by the Arts Council and the HSE.

Marie Brett

Marie Brett is a visual artist based in Ireland who uses digital media, sculpture and immersive installation to produce artwork as a reflection on contemporary life, often exploring ideas of loss and human suffering. Her practice involves a social and collective dimension and her approach to collaboration with community and place, to inform and influence the making of new work, has gained national interest. She often works in healthcare contexts. Marie has received numerous awards for her practice and her artwork is held in collections nationally and internationally.

Nigel Hartley

Nigel Hartley is Chief Executive of Earl Mountbatten Hospice, Isle of Wight and Countess Mountbatten Hospice, Southampton.  He has worked in end-of-life care for 30 years, including 12 years as Director of Supportive Care at the St Christopher’s Group, London, and he is the author of a number of seminal publications including The Creative Arts in Palliative Care (2008, with Malcolm Payne), End of Life Care – a guide for therapists, artists and arts therapists (2014) and Spirituality in Hospice Care (2017).  Nigel also sits on the Editorial Board of the journal Mortality, which promotes the interdisciplinary study of death and dying.  He is a visiting Academic at the University of Southampton and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Check Up Check In partners

Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT) brings arts experiences to the bedsides of patients at University Hospital Waterford and other healthcare settings.  WHAT supports the development of arts and health in Ireland and manages the national website, www.artsandhealth.ie.

Create is the national development agency for collaborative arts and provides support services and opportunities to artists and arts organisations working collaboratively with communities in social and community contexts.

Garter Lane Arts Centre is a vibrant and thriving venue for the arts in the heart of Waterford City.  Through its diverse year-round programme of exhibitions, performances and outreach, Garter Lane Arts Centre has been central to the fabric of the community of Waterford for over 30 years.

Waterford City and County Council is the administrative local government body for Waterford City and County.  The Waterford City and County Council Arts Office arts programme is a development based programme which aims to nurture, grow and pursue excellence in the arts, in addition to encouraging and building arts audiences.