Art of Life

Description

This project aims to normalise conversations around death and dying using creative approaches and is led on by Creative Cavan funded through Creative Ireland Shared Island Health and Wellbeing.

Creativity can have a real impact, helping people to process and express emotion, maintain human connection and to make sense of their experiences. This project is exploring a range of creative approaches, to facilitate these discussions.
Using a range of different partners has allowed our reach into communities, engaging with Cavan Age Friendly, South West Age Partnership, community groups and libraries. Funding allows free access thereby removing any barriers to participation. The different elements of delivery are creating a legacy accessible to communities beyond the life of the project.

Training has been provided to support creatives, building capacity and skills to shape creative delivery around these sensitive conversations by Irish Hospice Foundation and Compassionate Communities NI. This provided the foundation for the creatives around practical planning for end of life. This training and increased knowledge has formed an essential part of the project, empowering creatives who regularly deliver creative community projects with older people.
Participating Creatives are now providing a range of programmes in differing creative genres.

An art piece has been commissioned to represent The Art of Life following a consultation which included older people from Cavan Older People’s Council and South West Age Partnership along with Irish Hospice Foundation, Creative Cavan and Compassionate Communities. This ensured that the voice of the older person was represented from the onset around imagery for the project.

An approved reading list in 6 libraries as part of Death Positive Libraries provides a lasting legacy of easily accessible free support. The reading list has been approved by both Compassionate Communities (Foyle Hospice) and Irish Hospice Foundation.

Feedback and Evaluation – Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland are providing a social return on investment evaluation with Year 1 available. In addition video and case studies are collated.

Granny Jacksons Wake – an immersive Drama
“What a wonderful performance by Big Telly Theatre Company. I didn’t know what to expect today and I was a little anxious about it. No need to be worried. It was challenging but comforting, funny but sad, sad but funny and so thought provoking. A privilege to have been there today as part of the Art of Life”

“We had a brilliant day in Cavan, thank you so much Creative Cavan for the opportunity to attend. Lots of chatter on the bus on the way home about the drama and how everyone could recognise the issues that came up and the mix of people of people and emotions at the wake!”

“Simply amazing experience, fun & thought provoking. Many typical Irish family members portrayed. A gentle nudge to discuss death & grief. Amazing actors & singers! Wow!!”

Commissioned art piece has been completed, training with creatives and creative programme delivered – continuing in 2025.
Regular updates provided to Cavan Age Friendly Programme/Older People’s Council and South West Age Partnership.

Aim of Initiative

The Art of Life aims to normalise conversations around death and dying by encouraging people to make and communicate their advance care plans. Advance care planning involves discussing and preparing for future medical decisions if you become seriously ill or unable to express your wishes. These conversations are vital, yet often avoided, even though they can ease decision-making for loved ones during crises.

Initial consultations with older adults from the Cavan Older People’s Council revealed that while many understand the importance of these discussions, few feel comfortable having them. This project uses creativity and the arts as gentle tools to open up communication around this sensitive topic.

Artists involved in the project have developed strong skills in socially engaged practice, acting as both facilitators and advocates for advance care planning. These skills will continue to benefit communities beyond the life of the project and can be adapted to other settings.

To reach those less engaged with the arts, the project includes a recommended reading list available in local libraries. This ensures a broader impact and recognises that older people are a diverse group with varied interests, backgrounds, and needs.

Through creative engagement, advocacy, and accessible resources, The Art of Life helps individuals prepare for the future, reduce uncertainty for loved ones, and approach end-of-life planning with openness and confidence.

Who is it aimed at

Older people aged 55+ in Counties Cavan, Fermanagh and Tyrone (this is a Shared Island project)

3 Steps critical to success

1. Consult with older people on emerging issues on health and wellbeing – meeting with Cavan Older Peoples Council and South West Age Partnership (cross border)
   Discussions took place around a number of different health and wellbeing initiatives – the older people recognised that addressing advanced care planning gaps were a vital and very difficult topic to address and felt this was something should be addressed.
2. Further research was carried out around the topic of Advanced Care Planning. Possible delivery partners were identified, meetings held and research into approaches to combine the topic with creative elements.
3. Following extensive planning and research with both older people and partners a funding application was prepared. This required input from all partner organisations including letters of support, budget and delivery planning and feedback from partners.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. The topic – whilst a cohort of older older people agreed that advanced care planning was an essential and much needed topic to focus on engaging a wider group of older people has proved challenging.
   The creatives design the creative workshops with this in mind. They are taken at a gentle pace with participants encouraged to talk – or not.
2. Working cross border has provided challenges. The three counties – Cavan, Fermanagh and Tyrone are all rural areas – with a broad spread of older people. Attitudes, backgrounds and different views have provided challenges however working in collaboration with age friendly partners on both sides of the border have provided support for engagement.
3. The creatives themselves found the proposed delivery daunting – many were not experienced in collaborative working, including specific topics within delivery and had not considered advance care planning themselves.

   Similar to the older people they were from across the three counties with very different age, backgrounds and creative genres. With Creatives all self employed simple things such as scheduling training dates, locations etc setting up payment arrangements all presented huge challenges in delivery.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Age Friendly approach to image- commissioned art piece.
   The art piece was part of the age friendly approach to the project. Representatives from Cavan Older People’s Council and South West Age partnership along with Irish Hospice Foundation and Compassionate Communities NI participated in a workshop facilitated by a local artist Kim Gaffney Art. The final art piece represents the discussions around the project and reflects a wish for the image to represent hope, positivity and include nature within. A river was chosen which also allows a reflection of the cross border element of the project using the river which flows between Counties Cavan and Fermanagh.

   A video reflecting the story of the commissioned image can be viewed at Art of Life – Cavan County Libraries https://www.cavanlibrary.ie/services/national-initiatives/creative-cavan/what-s-on-now!/artoflife/

2. As part of the project, participating creatives were upskilled not only in the general principles of advance care planning but also in approaches tailored specifically to engaging with older adults. A comprehensive four-day training programme was delivered in collaboration with Compassionate Communities and the Irish Hospice Foundation, focusing on Advance Care Planning. Additionally, Age & Opportunity provided specialised training on best practices for creative facilitation with older people.

   This investment in professional development builds sustainability beyond the lifespan of the project. Creatives have now developed a robust skill set in socially engaged practice and age-friendly workshop delivery. These skills enhance their capacity to contribute meaningfully to future creative or age-focused projects, particularly those that address sensitive or complex themes.

3. Evaluation of the project is two fold – case studies of participants will be recorded through interviews (both video and paper based) – you can view a feedback interview at https://www.cavanlibrary.ie/services/national-initiatives/creative-cavan/what-s-on-now!/artoflife/ about The River of life – a singing and music project – a quote from one of the participants is below:

   “I was struggling to come to terms with the fact that my son was 20 years gone on 18th September and this project landed on my lap at the right time. (My son was 23 years old when he died.) On our first day we talked about “keening” and we did our own keening on the day. I felt a stone lighter after the keening and I felt as if someone had cleared my body of all the blockages in it, from the top of my head to my toes!!!! It was a wonderful feeling. On the last day we did some vocal sounds to accompany Valerie on her “shitzu” box. My heart and chest felt really warm after this – I felt as if the block of ice, that has been around my heart for 20 years, had melted. The opportunity to talk about death and dying was brilliant! I honestly feel this project should be made available to more people and groups. It is so beneficial.” Hilary.

   A social return on investment evaluation is also being undertaken by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland with Phase 1 on their library – this can again be accessed at https://www.cavanlibrary.ie/services/national-initiatives/creative-cavan/what-s-on-now!/artoflife/ –

   Phase 2 will incorporate findings from surveys completed by participants attending events and workshops. Learning from this project will allow replicability going forward on both sides of the border.

   Shared learning from the project allows for opportunities for sustainability – presentations have been provided to Cavan Monaghan Arts in Health Network, Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Conference, Cavan Older People’s Council AGM, Cavan Age Friendly Alliance and Creative Ireland Health and Wellbeing Networking Event.

   As a groundbreaking approach to delivery on a difficult topic using creativity it is vital that all learning – both positive and negative are shared to allow replicability for life beyond the end of the project.