Let’s Get Social dlr

Description

Project used a design thinking approach of carefully selecting partners and stakeholders to work together to programme for targeted groups within the community and deliver programme in established safe and welcoming community locations.

Southside Partnership DLR are delivering the Creative Café.

Creative Brainwaves, partnered with Global Brain Health Institute, TCD.

2 Performing Arts Clubs (Dance and Percussion) were established with the aim of supporting wellbeing and social inclusion for target marginalized groups and we identified 2 specific demographics active retirement groups/older individuals and International Protection Applicants/migrant communities. The dance and drumming workshops were delivered by dancers Philippa Donnellan and Emily Kilkenny Roddy and percussionists Brian Fleming and Nico Severin.

Drumming and dancing workshops were held weekly in Taney Parish Hall, Dundrum targeting 25-30 older people from an area identified as disadvantaged in collaboration with Rosemount Family Resource Centre. Workshops were also held with families seeking International Protection living in Mount St. Mary’s in Dundrum and Blackrock Family Centre and overall over 30 people participated regularly in both centres.

At end of the workshop sessions, open day event held on 24th May 2025 bringing together both groups and other members of the public with 60 people in attendance fostering integration, social participation and new friendships were formed, celebrating Bealtaine and Africa Day Festivals.

Through Performing Arts strands, people across various age groups, some experiencing mental health difficulties, loneliness and isolation; trauma and grief as well as people with early-stage dementia; people with disabilities and living in areas of higher socio-economic deprivation and families on low income participated and benefited greatly from the ‘Let’s Get Social dlr’ programme, many experiencing drumming and dancing for first time. This targeted approach was intentional, to foster acceptance and integration, to encourage an environment of mutual learning and respect and to support social engagement, friendship building with new arrivals and positive mental health and wellbeing in the Dundrum area.

dlr Arts Office delivered CPD programme, comprising bespoke workshops for creatives and healthcare professionals with skilled partitioners Tess Leak and Sarah Cairns.

For Creative Café taster sessions, we reached participants that wouldn’t normally be reached through our regular channels and programming. 22 participated in the Mandala and the Power of Words Courses with 35 overall participants across the 4 weeks of workshops.

2 new Alumni workshops in Art and Music proved very popular with 40 taking part.

10 creative practitioners received bespoke capacity building and mentoring training through ‘Let’s Get Social dlr’ CPD strand with a deeper understanding and enhanced skills to facilitate and support older and marginalised communities.

Creative Café’s and ‘Creative Brainwaves’ series, supported people of various ages, mostly older people experiencing social isolation and loneliness, people with mental health difficulties, people experiencing dementia, people with disabilities and some people from areas of higher socio-economic deprivation. Creative Café’s and Creative Brainwaves series resulted in fostering understanding about positive brain health and creativity across intergenerational groups and provided opportunities to build friendships and experience creative activities that may not have been accessible to the participants beforehand.

Aim of Initiative

The main aim of ‘Let’s Get Social dlr’ was to support social inclusion, positive mental health and wellbeing and community integration by targeting specific groups, including existing and newly-referred Social Prescribing clients, migrant and International Protection Applicant communities and our ageing population, including those living with dementia.
The main actions were to build on and expand existing projects, including social prescribing, brain health and dementia care projects. Another key action was to build capacity across the creatives/artists sector who work in community and healthcare contexts as well as provide a creative performing arts opportunity supporting integration between older people and new arrivals to the Dundrum area.

The goals of the programme were decided from looking at and evaluating previous well-being initiatives. The dlr Creative Ireland Culture Team, including the dlr Age Friendly Programme Manager, Arts, Community and Integration Teams then worked together to identify the best way to accomplish the identified needs and gaps.

‘Let’s Get Social dlr’ aimed to support participants to adopt healthy lifestyles and behaviours; enable positive ageing across the county; contribute to a reported improvement in participant’s mental and physical wellbeing through arts and culture; offer an opportunity to experience and perform new art forms with older people and new arrivals supporting local integration and friendship building; increase the number of experienced creatives/artists who work in healthcare and community contexts and enable greater knowledge within the healthcare sector and wider public about the positive impacts of creativity for our ageing population.

Who is it aimed at

The initiative was aimed at:
– Our ageing population, including those living with dementia
– Existing and newly-referred Social Prescribing clients
– Migrant and International Protection Applicant communities
– Artists and Creatives in the County

There is a strong body of evidence in terms of reports on how participation in the creative arts can improve mental health and wellbeing. Feedback received from participants in the 4 strands of ‘Let’s Get Social dlr’ shows that they felt more connected with their community, following their participation in a Creative Café course. Creative practitioners who facilitated the Creative Café or Dance & Drumming Workshops, who took part in the capacity building/mentoring sessions, revealed that they felt more connected and supported in their work in the community and informally developed their own creative networks. Participants in the Drumming & Dancing Performing Arts Clubs experienced much joy and happiness and welcomed the opportunity to get to know new arrivals and the local older community in dlr.

3 Steps critical to success

1. Securing funding and support from Creative Ireland & dlr Age Friendly Programme
2. Supporting International Protection Families in Mount St. Mary’s and older people in Rosemount Family Resource Centre and Ballyogan
3. Getting a good easily accessible venue in Dundrum area within easy access to public transport and parking available for dance and drumming workshops

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Securing participation of international protection families as some were transferred to other locations.
2. Initially, building participation, confidence and capacity of older people to take part and continue with various creative opportunities provided through the Creative Cafés and Performing Arts club.
3. Sustainability and mainstreaming of ‘Let’s Get Social dlr’ strands into the future.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Reduced loneliness, isolation, increased integration, intercultural and intergenerational connectivity. Older people more active, engaged and included in creative activities and international protection families more engaged and connected in their local community.
2. Opportunities provided for older people and international protection applicants to get to know each other and enjoy performing arts together, inspiring inclusivity and connection.
3. Enabled positive ageing across dlr and more awareness about the benefits of engaging in creative activities to support ageing, positive brain health and integration as well as increased Continuing Professional Development provided to Healthcare and Arts facilitators in dlr.