Creative Health and Wellbeing

Áras an Chontae

Roscommon

County Roscommon

F42 VR98

Tel: 090 6637100

Live Music Performances In Residential Healthcare Settings

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Roscommon County Council is delighted to announce that we have been successful in our application for additional funding under Live Music In Residential Healthcare Settings funding stream provided by the Creative Ireland Programme.

Roscommon Resonates is a county-wide live music initiative bringing professional musicians into residential healthcare settings for older people. Working in partnership with Artists in Residence and Age Friendly supports, the project will deliver high-quality, participatory music sessions designed to enhance wellbeing, stimulate memory, and foster social connection.

Across seven care settings, musicians will provide tailored performances, interactive activities, and a unique “Showband Bingo” musical theatre experience inspired by Ireland’s rich showband tradition. The programme emphasises dementia-aware, inclusive practice and cultural relevance, with sessions adapted to residents’ abilities and preferences, including one-to-one engagement where needed.

By encouraging active participation through singing, reminiscence, and creative collaboration, the project aims to bring joy, dignity, and meaningful cultural experiences to older people, while strengthening connections between artists, care staff, and residents.

Background
The Creative Ireland Programme introduced the Creativity in Older Age scheme in 2020 in response to the COVID 19 pandemic to support creative initiatives and promote positive ageing and wellbeing programmes for older people, taking account of public health guidance in the community and for healthcare facilities.
Participation in creativity, whether active or passive, has been demonstrated to play an important role in promoting positive health and wellbeing because it creates a space for social connection, enhancing self-esteem and resilience. It helps people tode-stress and relax, and supports people to manage their health and wellbeing and enable recovery.

Research by The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin, which was commissioned by the Creative Ireland Programme1, and by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) examined the implications for health and wellbeing of arts and creativity in later life. Both reports found a positive association between creative engagement and health and wellbeing. The TILDA report found that older adults who participate in creative activities enjoyed a higher quality of life and were less likely to be lonely, depressed and stressed than their contemporaries who did
not, while the IPH report found that participation in group arts and creativity interventions helps to support the physical, mental, and social aspects of ageing.

Funding
Live Music Performances in Residential Healthcare Settings 2026 will be funded by Creative Ireland and a contribution from the Department of Health through the Creative Arts and Health Working Group.

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Mayo Roscommon Care and Creativity in Context Project

Roscommon County Council, as lead partner collaborating with Mayo County Council, was successfully awarded funding under the Creative Health and Wellbeing pillar of the Creative Ireland Programme in 2024. This two‑year investment of €140,000 was put to excellent use as the Creative Ireland, Healthy Ireland and Arts Office teams in Roscommon and Mayo worked together to identify artists and creatives who would take part in the project. These artists delivered creative sessions in healthcare settings including nursing homes, private homes, hospitals and hospice units.

To ensure that participating artists were equipped to work in environments that often required adaptive skills, sensitivity, emotional resilience, and the ability to engage in difficult conversations around death, dying and grief, we enlisted the Irish Hospice Foundation’s Arts and Cultural Engagement professionals to provide capacity‑building training over the two years.

Project Coordinator Breda Mayock with her wealth of knowledge and experience was a jewel in the crown of the team and came on board in late 2024 to help with the multifaceted delivery stages of the project.

Artists who were new to these settings also received mentoring before working independently, and the experienced artists who supported them were invaluable to the project’s success.

Thirteen artists developed new skills and formed a community of practice—a safe and supportive peer group that shared stories, experiences, challenges, and solutions during the many in‑person and online meetings held throughout the project. This peer support became a significant added value, greatly strengthening artists’ confidence. Several duos emerged as artists chose to work together to deliver sessions, a model that proved particularly effective in hospice and hospital environments.

As time went on, connections, trust and lasting relationships were built between the administrative teams, the artists and the healthcare settings. This strengthened the project’s ability to deliver meaningful, consistent and, above all, enjoyable sessions. Over 2,300 engagements were logged during the course of the project. That’s 2,300 moments of creativity, 2,300 opportunities to try something new, 2,300 escapes from the mundane—2,300 chances for joy.

Interim evaluations revealed that some artists were working with participants living with dementia and other cognitive challenges. In response, specialised training was organised to support artists in adapting their sessions to meet these needs.

The main evaluation process began in mid‑2025 when Meehan Tully and Associates Ltd undertook a comprehensive review. Engaging with artists, healthcare partners and the teams at Roscommon and Mayo County Councils, they produced a detailed evaluation that reflected all perspectives of the project. They also commissioned Mary Branley and Sarah O’Keefe to create a creative evaluative response, resulting in the publication of Just Dip It in Blue.

Both documents were launched at an event held on the 31st March 2026 at Roscommon Arts Centre. Further information on that launch and access to digital verison of the evaluation documents can be found below

Press Release 31.03.2026

Launch of Report highlights the value of embedding creative initiatives in formal healthcare planning

The launch of the evaluation report of a unique collaborative programme, supporting the arts and creativity in care settings in Roscommon and Mayo took place today (Tues. March 31st) in Roscommon Arts Centre.

The Mayo Roscommon Care and Creativity in Context project provided 13 professional artists from across Counties Mayo and Roscommon with bespoke training in end-of-life care and bereavement.

Participants demonstrated interest in engaging in creative activities, benefitting mental and emotional health and overall wellbeing. In all, 652 creative sessions were delivered benefitting older people, families, visitors and care staff.

With more than 2352 participant engagements across all care settings, feedback from participating artists highlighted the value of upskilling and professional development, practical application of learnings, and opportunities to collaborate and explore new practices.

Supported by a total award of €140,000, the initiative set out to expand access to arts and creative opportunities across a wide range of healthcare and community contexts—from private homes and hospitals to nursing homes and hospices.

This evaluation examines the implementation and outcomes of the project, a two-year long initiative delivered jointly by Roscommon County Council and Mayo County Council, delivered under the Creative Health and Wellbeing Pillar of the Creative Ireland Programme, and with the support and assistance of the Irish Hospice Foundation and Healthy Ireland.

Speaking at the launch, Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, Cllr. Liam Callaghan remarked: “The evaluation of Care and Creativity in Context affirms that creativity at the end of life is not an extra, it is essential. It brings joy, dignity, connection and a sense of self at a time when so much else is taken away.

It is important to pay tribute to the artists at the centre of this project as well as the support of the many dedicated staff of HSE nursing homes, hospices and hospital units without whom this project would not have been possible.” Cllr. Callaghan concluded.

MeehanTully_MayoRoscommonCareCreativity_Evaluation

Just-Dip-It-In-Blue-A-Creative-Evaluation.