HSE showcase creative impact of art on health and wellbeing of Traveller community

The HSE and the Arts Council co-hosted a Traveller creative arts showcase for health at the Irish Museum of Modern Art this week.

A platform for Travellers to reflect, share their creative initiatives and discuss with stakeholders how creativity can support their wellbeing on an ongoing basis. Various creative art forms were used by Travellers, including rap, spoken word poetry, group performance, photography, visual art and written text and recreational creative based experiences.

Martin Collins, Co-Director, Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre speaking on a panel at the event, said:

“Today’s event is really important.  We need to find ways to have long term sustainable projects that create the conditions for Travellers to research, document and engage with our own cultural expression and identity.  One of the benefits of this, as we see today, is the benefits that arts can bring to Traveller mental health and wellbeing and Travellers’ sense of pride in the face of ongoing racism and discrimination.”  

The event was part of the Traveller Wellbeing through Creativity pilot programme delivered in 2022 and 2023 to support Traveller health and wellbeing through creative expression. Travellers and Traveller organisations, who received funding under the initiative shared their creative work and learning, while exploring with other stakeholders how this work can continue and grow into the future.

Speaking at the showcase event, Bernard Gloster, HSE CEO, said:

“I would like to congratulate the participants for the breadth and depth of works produced through this initiative, demonstrating the powerful connection between arts, cultural expression and wellbeing.

“In progressing the National Traveller Health Action Plan, the HSE is committed to working in partnership with other sectors to overcome the significant health inequalities experienced by Travellers. This initiative demonstrates the value of this partnership approach for achieving positive health outcomes. I look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Arts Council, Creative Ireland and the Department of Health in order to extend the reach of arts and creativity for Traveller health and wellbeing.”

Grant funding of up to €50,000 was provided to five projects in 2022 and four projects in 2023. The successful projects were led by members of the Traveller community and promoted working relationships between health, arts and Traveller organisations at local level. Projects which were showcased on the day included:

• The GAFF  and Limerick City Traveller Health Programme
• St. Margaret’s Ballymun & the Axis Ballymun
• Travellers of North Cork and partners
• Galway Traveller Movement & Misleór

Maureen Kennelly, Director, of the Arts Council, said:

“This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the ongoing work that has been developed as part of the Traveller Wellbeing through Creativity Pilot Initiative. The Arts Council is proud to explore together with partners what we have learned at both local and national level. It is incredibly important to understand how we can continue to work in partnership with Travellers, and at a national level with the HSE, the Creative Ireland Programme (DTCAGSM) and the Healthy Ireland Programme (Dept of Health), to create new and long-term supports for Traveller arts and health in Ireland. One of the Arts Council’s essential aims is be an inclusive organisation, where the development of the arts is achieved through collaboration with all artists and arts organisations.”

The event highlighted the evaluation findings from year 1 of the initiative, which point to the effectiveness of using creative arts to improve Traveller wellbeing. This adds to the strong international evidence base on the improvement of health and wellbeing through creative arts engagement.

The evaluation found that expressing Traveller culture, heritage and traditions through a positive lens enabled wellbeing. Participants at the showcasing event reflected on this learning and explored the significant potential for extending this work into the future.

This initiative is part of a wider programme of work on creative projects to enhance wellbeing through a partnership between Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media (Creative Ireland Programme), Department of Health (Healthy Ireland/Sláintecare Programme), the HSE and the Arts Council.

The purpose of the Traveller Wellbeing through Creativity initiative is to support creative projects that have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the Traveller community. Extensive research demonstrates that Travellers have persistently poor health and wellbeing outcomes compared with the general population. The initiative aims to extend the reach of existing projects focused on improving Traveller health and wellbeing through the medium of arts and creativity, and to facilitate new projects developed in partnership between Traveller, health and arts partners at local level.