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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Arts Care

We are a leading regional Arts, Health and Well-being Organisation based in Northern Ireland.

We deliver a wide range of innovative and impactful participatory arts projects and arts events into the heart of Health, Social and Community Care Services. Aim - to enhance the quality of the service users, staff and community’s experience of Healthcare

Objective - to provide quality arts engagement that supports Health and Well-being

29/12/2025

In preparation for beginning our first Ignite Community projects with young people, members of the Arts Care team joined our project partners HAPANI and Donegal Youth Service at Ormeau Park in late August to help spread the word about this exciting new programme for young people at HAPANI’s Summer Event.

Our Project Artist Mhairi Sutherland led a fun, hands-on activity where young people made their own compostable plant pots and filled them with local wildflower seeds to take home and nurture. Each little pot being cared for by a young person symbolising the seeds of change Ignite Community is helping to grow across Northern Ireland and the Border Regions.

Meanwhile, Rebecca from Arts Care and Riana from Donegal Youth Service invited participants to create self-portraits and expressive artworks celebrating identity and belonging. The pieces were displayed on-site, creating a vibrant reflection of the diverse young people who call Belfast home.

It was a fantastic day of creativity, connection, and collaboration — the perfect way to begin growing the Ignite Community together.

Donegal Youth Service Horn of Africa People’s Aid

25/12/2025

Arts Care staff (and Elvis!) are wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Thank you for your continued support and for being part of our community – we look forward to sharing more art, inspiration and smiles with you in the New Year!

23/12/2025

Arts Care is delighted to announce that we are finalists for the 2025 Eastside Awards Contribution to Arts & Culture category.

Coming into 2026, Arts Care’s 35th year of providing quality arts provision in health settings across Northern Ireland and the border counties, we are looking forward to attending the awards ceremony and celebrating with all our fellow nominees, including Scott’s Jazz Club and Harmonic Sounds Concert Band.

Good luck to all finalists, we will see you in all our finery in January 2026!

Eastside Awards

21/12/2025

Here & Now Festival Online Workshops - January Sessions! 🎶

Start 2026 creatively with Arts Care’s free online workshops - designed for over 60s, care home residents, adults with learning difficulties, and community groups.

🎶 Music & Song with Brendan Popplestone
🗓 Fri 9 Jan, 11am - A New Year, A New Voice: Welcome the New Year with beautiful Irish music and songs.
🗓 Fri 23 Jan, 11am - A Bonnie Morning: Get ready for Burns Night with Scottish music.

💃 Dance & Movement with Carmel Garvey
🗓 Mon 12 Jan, 11am - The Morning Metamorphosis: A friendly, accessible session to energise your day.

💻 Accessible, inclusive and fun - move, sing, and connect safely online!

📌 Register now by emailing clare@artscare.co.uk

19/12/2025

Earlier in the month, we hosted our annual Christmas show at Knockbracken, welcoming many attendees, including service users and staff from across the Belfast Trust.

The atmosphere was warm and supportive with everyone enjoying the chance to come together, relax and share in creativity.

The Arts Care band opened with much-loved favourites including Winter Wonderland and Country Roads, followed by a graceful performance from ETC Dance Company led by Carmel Garvey. Carmel and Martin later returned for a moving Christmas duet that brought a quiet moment of beauty to the room.

Mount Oriel Choir added wonderful choral harmonies and live music from Seefin supported an interactive scarf dance where participants filled the space with colour and movement. The room came alive with gentle activity that encouraged connection and a shared sense of joy.

Artist in Residence Brendan Popplestone coordinated the event and performed throughout, while Helen Shields supported service users to take part and enjoy the day comfortably.

The show finished on a high with Elvis making his much-loved annual appearance for a fun finale that had the whole room smiling.

Arts Care is proud to create moments that strengthen well-being and bring people together. This year’s Christmas show was a reminder of how creativity can lift spirits and create community in the places that need it most.

17/12/2025

Arts Care invites you to join our free online creative workshops for older people, care home residents, community groups and adults with additional needs. All from the comfort of your own home!

🎵 Mon 22 Dec, 11am - The Great Online Sing-Along with Karen Diamond: A Holly Jolly Singalong. Share your favourite festive tunes.

📌 Register now by emailing clare@artscare.co.uk

15/12/2025

Arts Care invites you to join our free online creative workshops for older people, care home residents, community groups and adults with additional needs. All from the comfort of your own home!

🎶 Fri 19 Dec, 11am - Music & Song with Brendan Popplestone: ’Tis the Season to Sing. Celebrate Christmas with festive songs.

📌 Register now by emailing clare@artscare.co.uk

12/12/2025

Artists Frank Holmes and Graham Ginty facilitated our PHA funded Twilight Zone ‘Flip the Script’ project in the Northern Trust this year.

They engaged young people in a variety of art forms, including digital media. The young people created artworks in their homes and took photographs in their local areas, particularly places showing signs of destruction - They then manipulated these photos and superimposed their own hand-drawn images to highlight regeneration and sustainability.

Frank said the aim was “to flip what it is to what it could be”. He added that the young people really got involved and he was impressed with how they focused on their ideas and brought the work to completion for the exhibition.

Staff also enjoyed being creative alongside the young people. Several local scenes were painted and one staff member painted flowers that she hoped would last longer than the plants she had brought into the house.

Public Health Agency Northern Health and Social Care Trust

12/12/2025

Artists Sally Young and Therese Gorman facilitated the Twilight Zone ‘Flip the Script’ project in children’s homes across the Southern Trust area.

They inspired young people to create colourful artworks using old cans, recycled materials and items that would normally go in the bin. The theme gave the young people the chance to express their ideas through striking, eye-catching pieces.

Sally said spray paints are always popular and she was impressed with what the young people made and the colours they chose. She added that the project is all about expressing the voice of the young person.

One young person said, “I loved using the spray cans. It made me feel like a proper artist.” Another said, “Sally and Therese helped us to make art about what we wanted to say.”

Andrea Harte from the Reset Team said, “It’s really lovely to see all the young people’s artwork looking so great in the exhibition. It has been really worthwhile coming to the celebration today.”

Public Health Agency Ulster University Southern Health and Social Care Trust

11/12/2025

Artist Grainne Kielty and Creative Writer Deirdre Cartmill worked with young people in the South Eastern Trust to explore the labels others put on them and how they see themselves beyond these labels.

Using clay, drawing and painting, the young people designed repeating patterns to create paper sheets for wrapping presents. They also used writing creatively to design clay labels for their gifts. These artworks are on display at Ulster University’s BA Building until 13 December as part of the Twilight Zone ‘Flip the Scrip’ exhibition.

Deirdre said the young people created beautiful images that reflected their personalities and that it was cathartic to express themselves creatively through words and images. The sessions were great fun, ranging from calm and peaceful to singalongs with light-hearted banter.

Grainne said she was impressed by the level of engagement and hoped the young people continue their creative journey. Staff appreciated the project as it gave them the chance to be creative alongside the young people. One young person said, “It was great, good fun, and I really enjoyed it.” Staff said, “I wish this could be a longer-term project,” and that they were delighted to have something to focus their energy on.

Deirdre also compiled a poem in response to her work with young people across the South Eastern Trust’s children’s residential care homes.

Ulster University Public Health Agency Southern Health and Social Care Trust

11/12/2025

As part of this year's Twilight Festival, artists Seliena Coyle, Mhairi Sutherland and Genevieve Murphy worked across four Western Trust residential care homes for young people, supported by Tina Graham and Paul Campbell from the Western Trust Reset Team.

Seliena and Mhairi’s workshops were a great success, inspiring creativity while teaching the value of recycling.

Using old tin and metal scraps, the young people created imaginative sardine-can masks that encouraged problem-solving, fine motor skills and playful self-expression. Many said they had never used these kinds of materials or tools before and felt a real sense of accomplishment.

Mhairi said it was a breath of fresh air to work with young people who had active ideas and were ready to try new things.

Together they created fabric and textile sculptures by recycling and redesigning old clothing. One young person said, “I like hip hop and we got to make stencils and spray paint on the clothes. I’d never done this before.”

Public Health Agency Western Health and Social Care Trust

09/12/2025

Flip the Script Exhibition - Saturday Celebration Recap ✨

We had a brilliant afternoon on Saturday celebrating the Flip the Script exhibition, bringing together the artists and the young people as they proudly received their certificates.

Flip the Script is part of this year’s Twilight Festival youth arts exhibition and it highlights the powerful and vibrant artwork created by young people with lived experience of the care system. Their creativity and their stories deserve to be seen and heard, and the exhibition offers a unique space for them to express themselves and share their voices with the wider community.

📍 Venue
BA Building, Belfast School of Art
Ulster University, York Street, Belfast BT15 1AP

🗓 Open until 13 December

There is still time to visit. Please call in, explore the striking artworks and experience this inspiring showcase for yourself.

For more information, email info@artscare.co.uk

Public Health Agency Ulster University

Address

Unit 1, GF, Belmont Office Park, 232-240 Belmont Road
Belfast
BT42AW

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+442890311122

Website

http://www.artscare.co.uk/

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