News 

September – December 2010 Welcome! As 2010 winds down, things are winding up at the Waterford Healing Arts Trust. We have a great line up of activities from our regular gigs – Healing Sounds, Open Studio, Tea Dances – to special once-off events that broadens the scope of what Arts and Health can be. Our programme links into many of the arts events in Waterford City and throughout the country including Culture Night, All Ireland Poetry Day and the Imagine Festival. The Waterford Healing Arts Trust is now on Facebook and is looking for friends. Become our friend and we’ll become yours… What’s on in Waterford Regional Hospital? Culture Night Friday, 24th September, 6.30pm – 8.30pm Music by Jane O’Brien Moran, Liam Merriman, Una McSweeney and Leah Clarke   Culture Night began as a small Dublin-based event in 2006 and has since spread to 20 towns and cities throughout Ireland. Culture Night in Waterford aims to improve access to the arts for everybody in Waterford. For this year's Culture Night on 24th September 2010, WHAT will host a special Healing Sounds performance between 6:30pm and 8:30pm (visiting times) in Waterford Regional Hospital.  This will kick off with a performance by Jane O’Brien Moran starting 6:30pm in the hospital foyer.  Jane and three other musicians – Liam Merriman, Una McSweeney and Leah Clarke   - will subsequently visit various wards in the hospital during visiting times. Jane O’Brien Moran is a familiar name on the music scene in Waterford.  A founder member of Miss Brown to You, she has performed on many television programmes including the Late Late Show.  She has recorded backing vocals with Freddie White and also toured in Europe.  Jane is the musical director of the Tramore Gospel Choir which has 30 members currently involved.     How well do you know your art? A special tour that tests your knowledge of the WRH art collection   Friday, 24th September Meet in WRH foyer at 7pm WRH boasts a collection of over 450 original artworks by established Irish artists, such as Tom Molloy, Pauline Bewick, and Evin Nolan, alongside those of emerging artists, throughout the public corridors and clinical spaces of Waterford Regional Hospital. Some of the work has been on display in the hospital since the early 1990’s but how well do you actually know it? Has the collection become wallpaper to you? To re-ignite your interest in our fantastic collection and in celebration of Culture Night, we are inviting you on a special tour of the collection that will test your knowledge of the WRH collection and contemporary Irish art. Admission is free and booking is essential. The Post Room Project exhibition by WHAT Artist in Residence Exhibition, Emily Robyn Archer Friday, 22nd October – Wednesday, 17th November The Post Room Project exhibition features 'moving drawing' animations by the WHAT artist in residence, Emily Robyn Archer. These animations describe memories and symbolic imagery of personal significance to the artist including images of Kenya where she lived as a child. Emily is interested in how the redrawing, erasing and manipulation of a drawn image emulates the way we rethink, reconstruct and re-imagine memories and events from our past. Alongside Emily’s animations, collaborative animations produced through Emily’s The Post Room Project will be on view. Over the last few months, the WRH hospital postal system has been infiltrated with a series of unusual internal mail envelopes each containing a different collaborative artwork. Each participant in WRH contributed to an evolving drawing or story that travels through the hospital via the post room. Material gathered through this project was animated by Emily and is featured in the exhibition.   You can keep up with the project on Emily’s blog www.emilyrobynarcher.wordpress.com or contact her directly at emilyrobynarcher@gmail.com. The Post Room Project exhibition will be launched on 21st October in WRH. In the meantime lookout for some intriguing, interactive post boxes in the hospital corridors! Emily Robyn Archer will give a public talk about her residency and exhibition on Friday, 22nd October at 1.15pm in the WHAT Centre for Arts and Health. Admission is free.   InsideOut8 - Annual HSE staff art exhibition 5th November – 15th December This year, the annual art exhibition by HSE staff members in Waterford will celebrate Waterford City and County by responding to the theme Waterford - from City to Sea. insideOut is an opportunity for staff to present on a public platform, to their colleagues, patients and visitors to the hospital, the artwork they make on a private basis. Each year we uncover more and more creative talent amongst the staff and the exhibition is also a great opportunity to purchase Christmas presents. This exhibition will be officially launched on Thursday, 4th November at 1pm by Cllr. Mary Roche, Mayor of Waterford.   A Menu of Poems on All Ireland Poetry Day Thursday, 7th October In celebration of All Ireland Poetry Day on Friday the Waterford Healing Arts Trust will bring A Menu of Poems to the bedsides of all patients in Waterford Regional Hospital. A Menu of Poems will feature the work of celebrated poets from all over Ireland and the project will be carried out simultaneously in Galway University Hospitals, St. Patrick’s hospital, Dublin, Naas General Hospital, Cork University Hospital, Adelaide & Meath Hospital as well as Waterford Regional Hospital. This simple project aims to provide a poetic reverie for patients in the course of their day in hospital.  Anyone wishing to get a copy of the Menu of Poems should contact Mary Grehan on mary.grehan@hse.ie or phone 051 842664. Poetry Reading by Michael Coady Thursday, 7th October  at 1.15pm The church in Waterford Regional Hospital Michael Coady will give a public reading from his book One Another (Gallery Press, 2003), including the series The Place of Hurt and Healing about his experiences of being a patient in hospital. Michael Coady was born in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. His poetry collections are Two for a Woman, Three for a Man (Gallery Books, 1980); Oven Lane (Gallery, 1987), All Souls (Gallery, 1998), an illustrated compendium of poetry and prose; One Another (The Gallery Press, 2003) and Going By Water (The Gallery Press, 2009). He has written short stories for radio and has twice been a prizewinner in the Francis McManus competition. He also published a memoir of the Clare musicians Pakie and Micho Russell, The Well of Spring Water, and a compendium of prose and photographs, Full Tide (Relay Books, 1999). Among his awards are the Patrick Kavanagh Award for poetry in 1979; and the Lawrence O’Shaughnessy Award for Poetry of the University of St Thomas Centre for Irish Studies, St Paul, Minnesota. He was Heimbold Professor of Irish Studies at Villanova University in 2005. Michael lives in Carrick-on-Suir and is a member of Aosdána . This poetry reading and WHAT’s contribution to ‘A Menu of Poems’ is grant-aided by Waterford City Council Arts Office.  Eat, sleep, breathe…dance! A performance by Animated State Dance Theatre Company in the foyer of Waterford Regional Hospital Friday, 29th October 2010, 1pm – 2pm Animated State Dance Company in Residence at the WHAT Centre for Arts & Health for 2010, present a public performance of contemporary dance. Featuring professional dancers Jessica Rowell and Lorcan O’Neill and accompanied by live music, the invitation to those present is to stop and reflect on this event for a few moments in your busy day.   Choreographer Libby Seward explores the question ‘what does dance mean to you?’ Audience members are invited to share thoughts on this theme with the dancers who will interpret the responses. This live interaction creates a unique atmosphere of collaboration and communication between all participants – public, dancers and musician.                   Healing Sounds Music Programme The Healing Sounds music programme continues this year with another exciting line-up of live music performances in Waterford Regional Hospital. Musicians will perform in the main foyer of the hospital from 1.30pm – 2.00pm and then will move to the wards and outpatient clinics. Donna Roche Monday, 18th October Soprano Donna Roche started her singing career in Waterford at the W.I.T Music School under the tuition of Anne Woodworth. After finishing school Donna continued her studies with Dr. Veronica Dunne at both the Leinster School of Music & Drama and the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.  During her time with Dr. Dunne, Donna studied song cycles, lieder, French song, opera and operetta.   Leah Clarke & Sarah McCarthy Monday, 1st November Leah Clarke is currently a postgraduate research student specialising in ‘The Ballad Tradition of the South East of Ireland’.  She plays the traditional flute, whistle, piano, bodhrán, guitar and percussion.  Leah has been a member of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann for a number of years and has played with the W.I.T. Traditional Irish Music Society.  Sarah McCarthy is currently a postgraduate research student specialising in ‘Musical Composition’.  She plays the piano, guitar, bodhrán and percussion.  Sarah’s compositions were performed at the Waterford New Music Week Festival and at Aber Musicfest, Wales. Monday 13th December Christ Church Cathedral Choir The Christ Church Cathedral choir numbers some 24 singers. In addition to singing the weekly services they give regular concerts and have recently made a CD of music by composers associated with Christ Church Cathedral. In March they combined with choirs from Dublin and Galway to perform Eric Sweeney's new cantata, Hymn to Gaia, based on multi-religious texts and dealing with ecological concerns, in a number of venues around the country.   Artist on call WHAT provides an Artist on Call service in the afternoons for all inpatients at Waterford Regional Hospital. This is a new development of the Art Kart service which is currently available in the Renal Dialysis, Psychiatry and Paediatric units of the hospital. If you know of a patient, in any ward, who would be interested in engaging in creative activities, please phone ext. 2664 to arrange for an artist to come to their bedside. What’s on in the WHAT Centre for Arts and Health...   Open Studio Workshop After a short break for the month of August, the Open Studio Workshop is back every Thursday from 12 – 2pm in the WHAT Centre for Arts & Health. The Workshop offers people a chance to experiment with a range of materials and themes. No previous experience is necessary. The workshop books up quickly every week so if you would like to take part please phone 051-842664 to reserve your place. The cost is €5.00 per session.      Tea Dances for the young at heart….    Monday 13th September Monday 11th October Monday 8th November Monday 13th December  From 2pm – 4pm This monthly programme of tea dances invites people to dance along to the popular songs from the post war and the 1950’s era.  Live music is provided by Sure Sound, dancing is led by Libby Seward, and of course, a cup of tea and scone helps fuel the dancing.  The programme which began in May 2010 has proved to be a great success with many people returning to the next dance to enjoy the music, dancing and good company.  The dances attract people living independently in community and those in residential care.  Admission is €5 and booking is essential. Move! An introductory contemporary dance workshop in the WHAT Centre for Arts and Health   Wednesday, 3rd November, 5.30pm – 7pm   Animated State Dance Theatre Company will host a contemporary dance workshop in the WHAT Centre. A gentle approach will be taken which explores the body’s potential for movement and creativity. Absolutely no previous experience is necessary. Admission is free. Wear comfortable clothes. Contact WHAT at 051 842664 to book your place. What’s on on the national front? As a National Resource Organisation in the field of Arts and Health in Ireland, WHAT is committed to improving standards of practice through various learning initiatives. Exchange Day Friday, 3rd December 2010, 10am – 4pm WHAT Centre for Arts and Health Are you an artist or health professional working in the field of Arts and Health? Do you want to meet like minded people, share what you are doing and find out what others are doing? Arts and Health is a growing field of practice in Ireland with more and more artists engaging people in healthcare and community contexts in creative activities. Practitioners in this field have varying levels of experience, knowledge and skills, and it is based on the premise that we have much to learn from each other that WHAT is hosting an Exchange Day. We are inviting people working in Arts and Health to present their work to their peers using a variety of creative media. Contact Mary Grehan at mary.grehan@hse.ie or phone 051 842664 for more information For the best - a video-linked discussion about collaborative arts and health in practice with Mark Storon and Anna Ledgard Wednesday, 8th December at 7pm in the WRH School of Education Helium in partnership with the Science Gallery Dublin presents a seminar with award winning children's theatre-makers Mark Storor and Anna Ledgard (UK) and chaired by Tony Fegan. This talk and discussion will incorporate Mark and Anna's experiences, methods, and skills in building relationships and understanding between artists/arts practitioners and hospital/medical staff, as well as maintaining authentic engagement and dialogue with paediatric patients.  It will benefit those working in the health and the arts fields and those working collaboratively with children and young people.  For more information please see www.helium.ie. The seminar will take place in the Science Gallery Dublin with two way live-streaming to Waterford Regional Hospital.  Waterford participants will be able to contribute to discussions. Admission is free.  Phone 051 842664 or e-mail WHAT@hse.ie to book your place What’s on in the wider community? Our music in mental health and disability settings programme continues on a weekly basis. Between September and December 2010, we are engaging the clients of the Brothers of Charity Tory Services, St. Monica’s Ward and the Activation Therapy Unit of St. Otteran’s Hospital, Ard na nDeise high support hostel and Newport Daycare Centre, Dungarvan in music making sessions. Our programme in Newport Daycare Centre is co-funded by Waterford County Council Arts Office.  On 15th September, we will host music making workshops for the staff of the Brothers of Charity and the Mental Health services as a means to enhancing their contribution to the programme. What’s on for staff? Culture Vulture Club Our new Culture Vulture Club for HSE staff kicks off in September 2010 with at visit to the Gerard Byrne solo exhibition in Lismore Castle gallery on 18th September and a visit to the Wexford Opera Festival on 26th October. If you work for the HSE and have a curiosity about all things cultural, it’s not too late to join. Just e-mail mary.grehan@hse.ie or phone ext 2664.   What else is on? Fund-raising Table Quiz in St Anne’s Tennis Club 12th November at 8pm WHAT is hosting a fun table quiz in St Anne’s Tennis Club’s bar and function room, With a  ‘Celebrity’ Question Master, lots of food and drink, and questions designed to suit EVERYONE this promises to be night to remember. There will be loads of prizes (not all for the winners). Please come to support this worthy cause - you could surprise yourself with your knowledge!!! Each team comprises four people. Tickets: €10 per person The Night Before Christmas on Craggy Island Written and directed by Bridie Hodge with musical direction by Wa’el Shabo.  Wednesday, 1st December at 8pm at The Forum, Waterford A terrible beauty will be born when WHAT presents The Night before Christmas on Craggy Island by Waterford’s funniest midwife, Bridie Hodge. This irreverent comedy showcases the incredible talents of the staff of WRH and beyond. With David Smith as Ted, Jimmy Lyons as Dougal, Kevin Ward as Mrs. Doyle and Kevin Hodge as Jack, the scene is set for some serious shenanigans when Ted opens up one parochial house as a Christmas Hotel.  The Craggy Island choir is drawn from a well established musical tradition within the hospital and with practically every department represented. Waterford’s top obstetrics, Dr. O’Donnell, Dr. Bermingham and John Stratton will be faced with the greatest challenge of their careers to date on this not-to-be-missed night in The Forum in Waterford.  Tickets: €12.50   WHAT Fashion Swap Party Friday, 10th December, 12 noon – 9pm WHAT will host its second Fashion Swap Party in the WHAT Centre for Arts and Health on 3rd December.  This is a fund-raising event that invites fashion lovers to swap unwanted clothes, shoes and accessories. TIt is a great opportunity to update your wardrobe and try a new look with minimal expense in time for the Christmas party season.   All proceeds will go towards funding the ongoing arts programme of the Waterford Healing Arts Trust.  Admission is €10. The National Campaign for the Arts is organising a National Day of Action for arts and culture on Friday 17 September.  On this day art workers in every constituency around the country will meet their local TD. Amidst a nationwide media campaign, they will discuss with their local representatives the fundamental importance of the arts to Ireland’s economic recovery. Mary Grehan, Arts Director of WHAT, will be part a contingent of arts professionals meeting Waterford TD’s on that day. If you have thoughts about the role of the arts in Ireland’s economic and social recovery, please contact Mary at mary.grehan@hse.ie or phone 051 842664 Further information the National Campaign for the Arts, look at www.ncfa.ie