Through a series of art workshops across Galway City and County, including University Hospital Galway, Merlin Park, and Portiuncula University Hospital, as well as rural locations in County Galway, the project seeks to widen arts engagement in healthcare. It aims to build capacity through training and upskilling artists to work in healthcare settings, and building a sustainable model of arts in healthcare that can be extended beyond Galway to the wider West-North West Health Region and beyond.

Opening Heartfest at The Croí Mobile Health Hub in Eyre Square, Mayor of Galway City, Councillor Peter Keane, said: “This arts programme will bring the benefits of art and creativity into healthcare provision, demonstrating the value of art for our overall health, wellbeing and recovery.”

Marie Cloonan, CNM 3 Cardiothoracics and Cariology, University Hospital Galway, said: “Following a cardiac event, be it surgery or otherwise, there is a huge psychological component which can be alleviated through activities such as art sessions.”

This project builds on a smaller-scale pilot initiative between Saolta Arts and Croí, which brought the two organisations together to develop a successful arts programme last year, part of a growing recognition of the health and wellbeing benefits the arts can bring.

Dick Byrne, a patient who took part in the workshops last year said: “It was a wonderful experience, artmaking in the hospital. Good for the heart and good for the soul.”

The project is funded by Creative Health and Wellbeing Fund, an initiative of Creative Ireland, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.