Calling quiz buffs! It’s time to dust off the dictionaries and brush up on general knowledge in time for the annual Quiz Night in aid of Waterford Healing Arts. Taking place at The Cove Bar, Dunmore Road on Thursday 23 November, 8pm. All are welcome and the entry fee is €40 per table of 4, with all proceeds going to the Waterford Healing Arts Art at the Kitchen Table programme. Tables must be booked in advance. Click here to book.
Announcing details of the Quiz Night, Shirley O’Shea, Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee of Waterford Healing Arts, said “We’re delighted to return to The Cove Bar for our annual Quiz Night and our sincere thanks to Tom and all the team for their invaluable support. This year, the focus of our fundraising is the fantastic Art at the Kitchen Table programme. Art at the Kitchen Table supports older people living in Waterford City and County, who might not otherwise have access to the arts, to make art in their own homes. Two of the Waterford Healing Arts artists – Caroline Schofield and Eilis O’Toole – visit people and they create art together: painting, drawing and collage/mixed media. The person at home doesn’t need to have any experience or art materials, just an interest in making art. The artist brings everything to them in their home.”
Shirley goes on to say “In addition to art making, we hear back from the participants that Art at the Kitchen Table brings them great joy, surprise and new friendships. They discover a talent they didn’t know they had, or sometimes it re-kindles an interest they may have had in the past. Each person has three sessions at home with the artist and they are then invited to join the Art at the Kitchen Table (AKT) Studio, where they meet other like-minded people and make art together, so there’s a wonderful social side to the programme. This is especially important as people sometimes need a little support to leave the house and return to society in these post-COVID times. When they join the AKT Studio, they already know one person in the room – the artist – which gives them an extra bit of confidence to give it a go. There are now two thriving AKT Studios – one in Waterford City and one in Dungarvan, for participants living in West Waterford.”
Claire Meaney, Director of Réalta/Waterford Healing Arts, added “Art at the Kitchen Table is delivered by Waterford Healing Arts in partnership with Waterford City and County Council, without whose support and generosity this programme would not exist. We would love to expand Art at the Kitchen Table and reach more people. The benefits are very clear, so we’re calling on the generous people of Waterford to support us in our efforts to keep this programme going and reach more people in the wider community.”
Tom Drohan, Manager of The Cove Bar, commented, “We’re very fortunate to have Waterford Healing Arts here in Waterford, so let’s make sure we do all we can to support them. The work that they do for people living in Waterford has such a positive impact on the community, so we’re really looking forward to welcoming a big crowd here at The Cove Bar to boost these fundraising efforts”.
Waterford Healing Arts brings arts experiences – music, visual art, creative writing and storytelling – to the bedside of patients at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and other healthcare settings. This extensive arts and health programme promotes creativity, connection and discovery and seeks to reduce isolation, anxiety and stress for patients, family members and staff, and is delivered by professional artists in partnership with healthcare professionals. Waterford Healing Arts is part of Réalta, the National Body for Arts + Health in Ireland. Réalta is core funded by the Arts Council and the HSE. www.waterfordhealingarts.com | www.realta.ie
ENDS
Further info: Maeve Butler, Réalta, the National Body for Arts + Health in Ireland. (051) 842664 maeveM.butler@hse.ie
Jo McCluskey, Réalta, the National Body for Arts + Health in Ireland. (051) 842664 joanne.mccluskey@hse.ie
