As part of Children’s Health Ireland’s commitment to place arts, creativity and imagination at the heart of the child’s and young person’s experience, we are developing an... Arts Programme...
for the new children's hospital and paediatric outpatient and urgent care centres.
Our work is based on the growing understanding of the positive and transformative impact that arts experiences can have on children and young people in paediatric settings. Our vision, mission and principles set the standards by which we make decisions, plan and deliver our activities.
What We're Doing and Planning
As the new hospital is being built, we are working on a range of creative projects which will enhance the hospital environment, support the transition from the existing children’s hospitals to the new locations and place the arts at the centre of the patient experience. We are:
Commissioning ambitious new art works for the public realm spaces of the new hospital and Outpatient and Urgent Care Centres.
Working with experienced, professional artists and across all art forms to deliver creative and meaningful arts experiences for children, young people, their families, our staff and our visitors.
Engaging with our staff and artists to celebrate the cultures, artworks and artefacts in our hospitals and deciding together on what artworks and artefacts to take with us to our new workplaces.
Consulting with staff, children, young people and their families to develop plans for future creative programming that is led by the needs and wants of the children and young people who use our services.
The Balloon Tree
“The Balloon Tree is a unique artwork designed and made by Róisín de Buitléar for the children, young people, staff and families attending the CHI Paediatric Outpatient and Urgent Care Centre at Connolly. It welcomes people to the centre and brings colour, light and a sense of playfulness into the building. Take a look at our short video which explains how the Balloon Tree was made and installed The Balloon Tree was commissioned by CHI Arts and generously funded by the NCH Foundation Tallaght. A sister tree will be in installed into the Paediatric Urgent Care and Outpatient Centre at Tallaght Hospital next year.” To find out more please watch this video.
Sharing artwork by children and young people
Getting our sleeves rolled up and making art with children and young people is a big part of what CHI Arts do. We have collaborated with social enterprises We Make Good and PALLs Limerick to produce a set of frames that will exhibit artworks made by children and young people attending CHI.
These clever frames have been designed to allow us to change artworks that are displayed in them, meaning children and young people from across the children’s hospitals will be able to show their artworks and see those made by others.
Get in touch!
- Mary Grehan, CHI Arts in Health Curator, email mary.grehan@nchg.ie
- Fiona Smith, CHI Assistant Arts in Health Curator, email fiona.smith7@nchg.ie