Good Grief – Waterford and Wexford County Councils

Conversation with healthcare professionals and arts-in-health organisations has revealed a huge gap in support systems, both formal and via family and friends, for those in the second year following a bereavement. This initiative, focusing on those in this position, combines creativity with ritual to foster health and wellbeing in the wake of their loss. Through doing so, it also aims to create an in-depth study, and develop a transferable and evidence-based model for the uses of creative ritual in self-soothing post-bereavement.

Participants were recruited in autumn 2024 via an open invitation to those in the Waterford and Wexford communities who were in their second year of loss to explore their grief through creativity.

Eight creative retreats took place, once per week, and with different venues, leaders and mediums used each time. A ritual expert provided guidance at intervals, while a creative wellbeing expert provided mentorship to workshop leaders, the two Creative Communities Engagement Officers in each of the Local Authorities, and the participants alike, where needed.

Positive outcomes so far have included the increased confidence which has come from everyone working together, pooling their strengths and support; the reactions from workshop leaders and participants; the preliminary research findings; and the building of relationships that might influence future programming.

2025 will see follow-on workshops take place that are relevant to the findings of a participant-focused and evidence-based plan designed by the initiative’s researcher. It is also intended for these findings to be disseminated and presented at relevant conferences and events.

The overall intended outcome of this initiative is to improve the health and wellbeing of those who are two-years post-bereavement, and to form the blueprint for a self-management programme that could be delivered in a less resource-heavy manner by various health promotion agencies.

Taipéis – Westmeath and Longford County Councils

Taipéis, named after the Irish word for tapestry, is a multidisciplinary exploration of the impact of creativity on the health and wellbeing of Ireland’s new communities.

Through a series of workshops across Westmeath and Longford, working through IPAS Centres, and community groups, the project seeks to explore interwoven threads within our communities, to improve integration, and in turn improve the health and mental wellbeing of participants.

The participants are a mix of all ages, from older people to toddlers, and hail from Africa, Asia, South America, from Mexico to Mauritius. The course also includes Irish people, some of them from disadvantaged backgrounds. The only requirement is to be able to have fun.

Taipéis uses the global language of art to explore what unites people — our strengths, hopes, and creativity. Events hosted by Taipéis have featured:

• A collaborative arts installation at the 2025 Longford Lights festival, where participants created a tree-like structure blending traditional Celtic designs and the art styles of their home countries.
• A day out at the Shawbrook Residential creative space in Legan, Co Longford where course participants cooked and exchanged their national dishes and performed an interpretive dance piece based on their childhood memories, which was filmed and displayed at the event.
• The planting of seasonal flower bulbs in public spaces in Longford and Westmeath.

Taipéis collaborates with established artists and creative professionals, as well as mentoring those who are starting in their creative journey.

Project coordinator and creative facilitator Fiona MacGinty spoke about the initiative at the Creativity for Wellbeing Network Gathering 2025.

The project is exploring the creation of a model of programming that can be established beyond the midlands.