Arts Care

05/02/2026

Tuesday night saw the launch of PRIME, a powerful exhibition, now in its 15th year, celebrating the creativity of artists aged 60+ as part of the Here & Now Arts, Health and Wellbeing Festival for Older People.

Hosted at Museum at the Mill (Mossley Mill), Newtownabbey, and funded by the Public Health Agency , PRIME showcases selected artworks from artists across Northern Ireland and covering a range of art forms, responding to this year’s theme: Transformations.

The launch was supported by Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Julie Gilmour with many thanks to her for attending and for her thoughtful and engaging address on the night.

This exhibition is a brilliant reminder that creativity has no age limit, and that the arts continue to connect, inspire and strengthen wellbeing at every stage of life.

The exhibition runs until 5 March 2026.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am–3:30pm
Location: Museum at the Mill, Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey

04/02/2026

We were delighted to join Strand Belfast for our first public performance of Crankie Theatre at Belmont Bowling Club.

Our CEO Barry Macaulay and Artist Paul Stevenson entertained the audience with stories and songs of old Belfast, animated by Paul’s fantastic art on the Crankie Box.

We will be taking the Crankie on a tour of Nursing Homes in the coming months and we plan to make a Crankie with local residents on the history of Strand Cinema to mark their return to their refurbished premises later in the year.

02/02/2026

Last week we were delighted to welcome artist John Yayen to Belfast, spending time at his current exhibition 'Embers of Care' at Arts Ekta , and visiting the Arts Care office where a selection of works from the series is displayed in the Anne Quail Gallery.

A contemporary artist, nurse and migrant, Yayen’s practice bridges care and creativity, drawing on his frontline experience in end-of-life and dementia care. 'Embers of Care' is an ongoing visual storytelling project inspired by the lived experiences of migrant healthcare workers, sharing powerful stories of resilience, sacrifice and solidarity.

Since launching in 2024, the project has collaborated with over 20 healthcare institutions across the UK, with works now held in permanent collections nationwide. We’re proud to be partnering with ArtsEkta to host this exhibition and support socially engaged art that fosters empathy, inclusion and understanding within our communities. This is a precursor to a Northern Ireland project which we hope to start with Yayen later in the year ❤️

The exhibition will be on display at Arts Ekta Olivetree House until the end of March and is open for viewing weekdays 9am to 4pm (except 9-14 Feb).

27/01/2026

Our Share Centre Dance and Drama Project was a dazzling success! 🌟

On Tuesday 4 November, participants came together for a beautiful Showcase of Dance and Drama at the Performance Space, Share Centre Discovery Village, Lisnaskea. The first half featured five stunning dance pieces, choreographed by Carmel Garvey, exploring Our Beautiful World through creativity, trust, and connection. Weekly sessions not only prepared the performances but also boosted fitness, wellbeing, and cognitive skills, while friendships and choreography blossomed.

The second half showcased drama with Paddy McEneaney and Exit Does Theatre, including a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with Killadeas Day Centre and a devised piece, The Night Out, with Fresh Focus Enniskillen. Service users took centre stage, performing with confidence, self-expression, and joy.

The project was fully inclusive, creating a fun, supportive space where everyone shone like a diamond. Big thanks to Michael Cummins for lighting and tech support, and to Arts Council NI and Power NI for funding.

Participants included Killadeas Day Centre, Lisnaskea Ladies Health Living Centre, Fresh Focus.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland Share Discovery Village Exit does Theatre

26/01/2026

🎶 A Celebration of Belfast Streets in Word & Song 🎶

Join us at Belmont Bowling Club for a free mid-morning performance exploring East Belfast’s rich social and cultural history. We’re delighted to be performing as part of the Strand Belfast Heritage Talks programme.

📍 Thu 29 Jan | 11am
Arts Care artist Paul Stevenson and CEO Barry Macaulay bring Belfast street songs to life, alongside Strand Heritage Officer Rosie Hickey, who’ll uncover the origins of some of East Belfast’s best-known streets.
☕ Refreshments provided.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of Strand Arts Centre’s Heritage Talks programme.


🎟️ Free – booking essential:
https://strandartscentre.com/special-screenings

23/01/2026

✨ Celebration of 15 Years of Twilight Zone Festival : Flip the Script ✨

On Wednesday, young people from across Northern Ireland showcased their creativity in the Long Gallery at Stormont to celebrate 15 years of the Arts Care Twilight Zone Project.

Thirty eight young artists aged 12–18 exhibited powerful work developed through the project, highlighting creativity as a vital tool for expression, connection and mental and emotional wellbeing. The event brought together young people, artists, health partners, policymakers and stakeholders to reflect on the impact of the project and its future.

We’re incredibly proud of everything achieved over the last 15 years and we are excited to continue developing the Twilight Zone Project alongside young people, ensuring their voices remain central to creative health and wellbeing work.

Thanks to the Public Health Agency for being a fantastic partner over the last 15 years and also thank you to John Blair for sponsoring the fantastic event at Stormont.

Here's looking forward to the next 15 years!

💜

19/01/2026

Arts Care are delighted to be partnering with Arts Ekta to host the Embers of Care Portrait Exhibition by artist Yayen John highlighting the contribution of migrant healthcare workers to the NHS.

The exhibition can be viewed 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Just buzz ArtsEkta on arrival and the display is in the gallery on the ground floor.

Please note: closed 9 to 14 February.

📸 Pictured from left: Barry Macaulay (Arts Care CEO), Nisha Tandon (ArtsEkta CEO), Seamas O’Labhradha (ArtsEkta Artist)

11/01/2026

Arts Care Project Artists working on Ignite Community are sharing their expertise with young people engaged through our partner organisations via arts-based taster sessions and masterclasses.

These sessions are a fantastic way to build stronger connections with our partners and to encourage more young people to use art as a powerful tool to express their voices and ideas for social change.

Recently, Project Artist Mhairi Sutherland had the privilege of facilitating a creative Taster Session with a diverse group of young people working with our project partner Donegal Youth Service (DYS).

Using charcoal, chalk, paint, and collage, participants first worked in small groups to create personal maps reflecting their lived experiences, culture, and aspirations.

These were then combined into a vibrant, large-scale community map representing Letterkenny’s diverse youth voices and their shared vision for change.

09/01/2026

Taking time out for creativity can make a real difference 💛

Arts Care artist Jill McKeown delivered four Staff Wellbeing Christmas craft workshops across Craigavon, Brownlow, Lurgan and Armagh with Southern Health and Social Care Trust and some volunteers of various services including Community Mental Health, Gateway and Fit 4 You.

The sessions gave healthcare staff and volunteers space to relax, connect with colleagues and enjoy creative time together during a busy period. Through accessible Christmas crafts, teams explored individuality, built morale and left feeling surprised and proud of what they had created.

Feedback showed the workshops supported relaxation, confidence and creativity, with many participants inspired to continue making crafts at home.

Southern Health and Social Care Trust

07/01/2026

Arts Care is delighted to announce that the Garfield Weston Foundation is providing £30,000 toward our core costs.

This is the first time Arts Care has applied to the Foundation, and we are honoured and grateful to receive this much-needed support.

On behalf of Arts Care’s Board, staff, artists, service users, and volunteers, we would like to say Thank you, Garfield Weston Foundation!

Garfield Weston Foundation

06/01/2026

Arts Care artist Carmel Garvey has been awarded a BEM (British Empire Medal) in the 2026 New Year Honours List for services to dance in Tyrone.

For over 40 years, Carmel has brought movement, creativity and connection into communities, hospitals and care settings across Northern Ireland.

Check out our interview with Carmel to learn more about her remarkable journey and the lives changed through dance 👇

An artist who has spent more than four decades bringing dance into the heart of communities, hospitals and care settings across County Tyrone and beyond has

05/01/2026

🎖️ A huge congratulations to Arts Care artist Carmel Garvey on being awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2026 New Year Honours List for services to dance in Tyrone! 🎖️

For more than 40 years, Carmel has brought dance into places where it truly matters, hospitals, day centres, care homes, community halls and schools across County Tyrone and beyond. Through her work with Arts Care and in communities, she has created safe, inclusive spaces where people of all ages and abilities can connect, express themselves and feel valued through movement.

Carmel’s approach has always been rooted in inclusion. Whether working with children, older people, learning disability service users, mental health patients or people living with dementia, she meets everyone where they are and shows them they are dancers too. Her sessions are about dignity, joy, wellbeing and togetherness, not performance for performance’s sake.

This award recognises a lifetime of quiet dedication, creativity and compassion, and the profound difference Carmel has made to the lives of so many people across Tyrone and Northern Ireland.

Congratulations, Carmel. A truly deserved honour.