ART FINDS A WAY
The Arts Office of Wexford County Council and a team of artists have been working closely with the HSE and Wexford Mental Health Services to adapt the county’s award-winning Arts Ability Programme, ensuring that those who are most vulnerable continue to explore their creativity while in social isolation.
The arts programme is run in nine HSE day care and residential centres in Wexford town, Enniscorthy and New Ross supporting people with mental health and intellectual and physical disabilities.
A team of artists,including Oonagh Latchford, Declan Kennedy, John Busher, Joe Brennan and Emily Redmond deliver weekly workshops in visual arts, creative writing and music exploration throughout the year at the centres.
Due to the Covid-19 closure of all day care centres in midMarch, the programme had to be quickly adapted in order to reach the maximum number of participants, many of whom are older, with limited access to the internet.
Visual art, writing and music packs were put together by the artists, and posted or hand delivered to all the residential HSE centres as well as the private homes of participants who were encouraged to adapt and work from their kitchen or living room.
The art students adapted well to the changes with the support of regular check-in phone calls from the artists and HSE occupational therapists as well as weekly workshops in creative writing, visual art and music, prepared by the artists and delivered online for those in residential and private homes who have access to the internet.
Visual artist Declan Kennedy, who works with CUMAS in New Ross, which has hosted the Arts Ability programme for the past 15 years, said the participants on his course are well-established artists with national and international exhibitions under their belt.
‘CUMAS has developed a way of working with each individual in their community over the past ten years and, because of this, the general transition as a result of Covid-19, has been mainly seamless.
‘ The structures and the experience were already there so things fell into place quickly once lockdown hit.’ he said.
‘We put together over 38 art packs that were delivered to each individual home through the support of Cumas staff.
It’s a new way of working for me but having such a well-established relationship with the artists is really coming to the fore in this situation.
‘Each week I send a link to a documentary on famous artists for the participants to watch, last week it was one on Frida Kahlo. I also have sent them links to international short movies from art and disability film festivals.
‘Other participants were offered the opportunity to do an online photographic course on how to get the most out of your smart phone, run by the gallery of photography in Dublin.’
The writer and storyteller Joe Brennan facilitates writing groups at Killagoley Training and Activation Centre in Enniscorthy.
‘ The personal interaction of the writers’ group is a key element of the creative process so the challenge with the lockdown has been to find ways to keep some of that going’, he said.
‘Initially, I made videos with stories and ideas to help with writing. I also sent worksheets with a variety of writing exercises and writing materials.
‘I developed my video making skills to that I could introduce writing workshops to the participants, then show the images with me narrating behind them, to offer guidance. It was a challenge with the limited technology of the phone and the computer but, with trial and lots of error, I got there.
‘ The other way to stay connected is encouraging the writers to post their work to me. It offers them a focus and allows me to communicate personally with them, offering support and encouragement. All of this is made possible with the support of the staff in the service and particularly Sarah Lynch, the occupational therapist.’
Music Exploration Officer with Wexford Mental Health Services, Emily Redmond began designing resource packs for community groups and residential units within Mental Health Services around County Wexford.
‘I have created a series of guitar, ukulele, song, music theory, lyric analysis and song writing booklets that were designed and produced with the hope of encouraging creativity, self-expression and easing the boredom at this difficult time’, she said.
Emily also put together a care box for Havenview, a high support unit in Enniscorthy, including personalised cards with images of Wexford by Padraig Grant, laminated lyric sheets of songs the music group have used for the past four years, easy sheet music for staff to practice with residents using the instrument bank set up a few years ago, CDs of their favourite repertoire and some chocolate! She is about to start work on another care box for Millview residential unit in Enniscorthy.
Emily sends weeky material which the occupational therapist team in each centre distributes to service users through email and post and is hoping to start Zoom group classes over the coming weeks.
Artist Oonagh Latchford who normally facilitates art workshops in Killagoley Training Centre two days a week, put together art kits containing paints, canvases, paper and drawing materials so participants would have the basic tools and materials needed to make art in their home.
‘ These are topped up regularly to keep the contents fresh and interesting. On a weekly basis I have been making videos which are a mix of step-by-step follow along processes and demonstrations, along with accompanying worksheets. Myself and the other artists on the team have regular virtual meetings with the centres’ occupational therapists to ensure that all participants’ needs are being met, to get feedback from participants and to further develop and improve on this new way of working’, said Oonagh.
Two weeks before the lockdown, Artist John John Busher joined the Arts Ability programme as a facilitator with Wexford Residential Intellectual Disability Services on th grounds of St John’s Community Hospital in Enniscorthy.
In that time, he had settled into a demanding role that saw him work with profoundly disabled participants.
‘As artists we are programmed to adapt and change, and with the support of Wexford Arts Office I quickly set about rethinking how I might engage with some of the most vulnerable citizens during the Covid-19 crisis’, he said.
‘ The challenge was to reach participants remotely, where some were still in residential care but unable to access practical aspects of the programme from St. John’s.
In light of the demands faced by healthcare staff, I designed a set of resources that could be accessed by HSE staff in residential units. These ‘ how to’ guides on methods of arts engagement, could be downloaded from my website. It was followed up with a mail art initiative posted out to the centres.’