St Josephs Foundation service users who took part in the ‘Connecting’ art project.
A unique collaborative project involving Irish Wheelchair Association, St. Joseph’s Foundation and Nazareth House and supported by the Cork County Council Arts Office, has been taking place in Mallow since September and a You Tube clip was launched on December 3rd. Guided by their facilitator Niamh Towey, ten participants from each group (30 in total) were involved in an exchange where participants started a piece of work, inspired by their own creativity, and then exchanged it for someone else’s unfinished piece, which they completed based on what this artwork evoked for them. This challenged people to leave their creative comfort zone, and emphasised how individual art can be. The finished work is a stunning printed piece of all the finished products. Throughout the process, each participant was videoed describing what inspired them initially with their own piece, then, more importantly, why they finished the exchanged piece in the way they did. This clip is now available on You Tube for general viewing.
‘Connecting’- Art Exchange’ is a response, through art, to isolation and its impact on the individual during Covid-19 restrictions. Through this project the participants started connecting again with others.
Speaking on behalf of the project, facilitator Niamh Towey said, “I’d like to share my sheer pleasure of working on this project. It was a real display of letting one’s soul speak through art expression. It was the collaboration of three very different groups, coming together to express their passions, loves and interests on canvas, each telling a story about themselves, and adding to that story of the others once the canvases were exchanged, changing and intertwining their passions once swapped. The red heart encased in a black corner square on each right-hand side of the canvas connects us all together and highlights the importance of connection during these times. This project was truly inspiring and each participant and all those who helped make it happen can now appreciate the beauty of what they have created throughout this unique experience”
The final YouTube upload can be viewed on the following link:
youtu.be/d7seir0iO_I