Other People’s Practices : Artist residencies with day patients from the Central Mental Hospital.

This artistic residency which was led by artist John Conway is important not just for the projects undertaken by three artists working directly with some of the most vulnerable people in our community but also for the implications for the future delivery of creative projects with this sector.

Creative Ireland identified the long term benefits of the project when supporting this pilot  programme of artist residencies in the Ushers Island Clinic, a community day centre resource of the National Forensic Mental Health Service. Its users are both current patients of the Central Mental Hospital who are on day leave from the hospital site, and former service users who are in assisted living in the wider community.

Three artists undertook three separate four month residencies over a 15 month period in the Ushers Island care facility. The three artists selected  to work at Usher’s Island  were chosen because their past professional practice focused on collaborative, socially engaged processes and the production of high quality, critical, standalone art works.

This is an intensive experiential project, supporting individuals with complex difficulties.  Positive outcomes could have significant policy implications for a section of the population that is particularly disadvantaged. Other People’s Practices is funded by Creative Ireland and is a partnership with NCAD, the NFMHS and Waterford Healing Arts Trust.

Other People’s Practices brings artists and health service users of the Central Mental Hospital together to collaborate on projects. Founder and Director John Conway was awarded the artsandhealth.ie documentation bursary in 2019 to create a publication about Other People’s Practices, which was officially launched in August 2021. The publication 'Other People’s Practices: And More Besides' is available here. More information regarding the publication is available here.