WHAT as a Resource

The Library in the WHAT Centre for Arts & Health

 
Musicians enjoying a professional development workshop in 2009.

WHAT is a National Resource Organisation for the development of Arts and Health in Ireland. In partnership with the Health Service Executive South (Cork) Arts + Health Programme and with financial support from Arts Council Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, WHAT commissioned the development of  Participatory Arts Practice in Healthcare Contexts - Guidelines for Good Practice for artists and health professionals engaged in Arts and Health work from the Centre for Medical Humanities at Durham University.

WHAT has an Arts and Health reference library as a resource for people interested in carrying out research in this field. This is housed in the dedicated library in the Centre for Arts and Health. Please click here to view the current library catalogue. Reservations for use of the library should be made in advance.

WHAT also hosts monthly advice clinics around the establishment of Arts and Health projects for those wishing to embark on this field of work. These are available on request.

In partnership with National Resource Arts Organisations, WHAT hosts Continuing Professional Development talks and workshops for artists and healthcare professionals involved in Arts and Health practice. In April 2010, WHAT, in partnership with Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts, and ArtLinks, hosted a public talk which shared learning from a ground-breaking arts and health project entitled Transplant. The talk is available to listen to on the Create-Exchange website.

WHAT disseminates its practice through presentations to other Arts and Health projects about its work, at conferences and through articles in relevant publications. WHAT also supports  research in the field of Arts and Health. It supported the first Masters by Research in the field of Arts and Health in Ireland which was funded by FETAC. This Masters was carried out by Edelle Nolan, from 2002 until 2005. In 2004/05, Arts Director Mary Grehan carried out a comparative study between a hospital and a gallery as sites for viewing art in the North West of England.