Tactile Tunes

Jane Cassidy and members of Arts Alive

Funded by the Arts Council’s Artist in the Community Scheme Project Realisation Award

Tactile Tunes was led by Jane Cassidy in collaboration with Arts Alive, a Galway City based community group of ten adults with intellectual disabilities under the Brothers of Charity Services Ireland. The project culminated in an interactive exhibition in the Aula Maxima at the University of Galway for the Galway International Arts Festival 2025. Combining sound and sculpture, the exhibition explored how tactile, touch‑sensitive instruments could make music‑making intuitive and accessible for all. The result was an ambitious and imaginative exhibition that placed inclusivity and creativity at its core.

Participants

The project brought together the ten members of Arts Alive (Amy Clarke, James O’Connell, Natasha Lydon, Alan Keady, Eilish Lee, David McAnena, Róisín DeBúrca, Damien Graham, Aoife King, and Richard Hickey), supported by facilitators Laura O’Connell, Gary Walshe, and Jenny Faherty.

The project was also supported by artistic collaborators Noel Arrigan (carpentry/build), Áine Lawless (textiles), Alison McDonnell‑White (videography/photography), Andrew Madec (sound consultancy), and The Makers Space at the University of Galway.

Jane Cassidy and Arts Alive had previously collaborated on Identity (2024), an exhibition that explored the multifaceted identities of the collaborators. This work was exhibited at Nuns Island in Galway and as part of the Baboró International Arts Festival for Children.

The collaborators on this project, including members of Arts Alive. Photo: Emilija Jefremova

Aims

The vision of Tactile Tunes was to create an accessible, interactive musical installation that fostered music‑making among adults with intellectual disabilities and individuals of all ages and abilities.

When Jane first met with Arts Alive to discuss applying for the award, the group expressed strong enthusiasm for a musical project that would make music‑making intuitive and fun. Jane had just completed a residency with CREW in Galway, where she researched interactive and tactile musical instruments. Arts Alive were excited by this research and eager to explore the technology with the support of the grant.

The aims of the project grew increasingly ambitious as Arts Alive and Jane received an Elevate Grant from the Galway International Arts Festival, along with an invitation to exhibit their work at the festival in July. The project suddenly expanded in scale and ambition.

To create the new work for exhibition, the collaborators committed to learning the technology involved in creating musical instruments, designing their own, collaborating as a group, and ultimately producing bespoke instruments for public display.

Ultimately, the exhibition sought to challenge stereotypes by placing the members of Arts Alive at the centre of a prestigious cultural event, while also creating interactive, joyful, and accessible art that could engage diverse audiences.

Methods

The project began with twice‑weekly workshops that introduced the group to the science behind electricity, switches, and conductive materials. They experimented with Makey Makey microcontrollers, learning to build musical controllers from everyday objects such as cutlery, plants, and painted stones. Scratch programming allowed them to assign sounds to their creations, resulting in imaginative instruments such as a painting of a birthday candle that played “Happy Birthday,” a rain‑themed painting that produced rain sounds, and stones that emitted ethereal choir tones.

As the weeks progressed, the talents and interests of each collaborator emerged. For the final exhibition, one collaborator focused on creating digital drawings to be projected, several concentrated on designs for laser cutting, and others collaborated to develop specific instruments such as the Cosmic CDJ.

In the final weeks, each group member contributed to the accompanying text and artistic statement for the exhibition. They responded to questions and wrote about the ideas behind the instruments, how the work developed, and how they wanted audiences to engage with it. These writing sessions were invaluable in producing heartfelt text for the exhibition, while also preparing the group  to guide audiences through the show and deliver their artist talk during the festival.

In the last two months of the project, seven instruments were finalized and developed for exhibition. Each group member contributed to designing, painting, drawing, and varnishing, ensuring a collective creative process.

Members of Arts Alive pictured at the Tactile Tunes exhibition. Photo: Emilija Jefremova

Artistic Outputs

The seven instruments were showcased in a major exhibition at the Galway International Arts Festival in 2025. The theme of the exhibition was the Aurora Borealis, which created a magical, cosmic atmosphere in the space. Projections from the Cosmic CDJ filled the room with mesmerising light that audiences could control by pressing engraved buttons.

The instruments were diverse and imaginative: a stone piano that played long drone pads, a shell piano that produced twelve arpeggiated notes, Harmonious Hearts that generated sparkling sound when two people’s skin touched, and a giant granite rock, The Stone of Destiny, that emitted a deep bass rumble when touched. The installation was filled with sculptural instruments that were intuitive to play and encouraged music‑making among people of all ages and abilities.

Tactile Tunes exhibition materials. Photo: Emilija Jefremova

Evaluation Methodology

Evaluation was embedded throughout the project. The group regularly wrote feedback about the sessions.

“I loved everything about the project. The workshops were both challenging and enjoyable. I enjoyed learning how to make different sounds and music, and designing different buttons for the final instruments” Natasha

​​“I liked experimenting with Makey Makey and Scratch. Learning how electricity works through our hands and stones was really exciting. It was science and art.” David

“My favourite part of working on the project was learning about science and technology. I loved making the West End Rattle, and experimenting with different sounds. I loved working as part of a team with my friends in Arts Alive.” James

“Working together with my friends was the best part. Sometimes it was tricky, but we always helped each other. I liked that everyone’s ideas became part of the exhibition”. Amy

Audience feedback was captured in a guest book filled with positive messages, while visitor numbers were tracked, with nearly 7,000 people attending the exhibition

Press coverage and word‑of‑mouth further reflected the project’s impact, with interviews on RTÉ’s Arena and Galway Bay FM, coverage in national and regional newspapers, and a segment on RTÉ 1’s Six and Nine O’Clock News.

Feedback shared by attendees of the Tactile Tunes exhibition. Photo: Jane Cassidy

Outcomes

The outcomes were significant for Arts Alive. The members gained new technical and creative skills, strengthened their confidence, and experienced the pride of presenting their work in a high‑profile setting. The exhibition challenged stereotypes by showcasing adults with intellectual disabilities at the heart of a major festival, while audiences were inspired by the interactivity and inclusivity of the work. For Jane Cassidy, the project was profoundly meaningful, working with a wonderful team and bringing ambitious ideas to fruition.

Documentation & Dissemination

The project was documented through the exhibition itself, press coverage, and the guest book. Arts Alive members contributed written statements and speeches, and most importantly were invited to officially launch the opening of the Galway International Arts Festival.