Chelsea Canavan’s work within Arts & Health is underpinned by a strong process-led and collaborative approach and over 12 years experience of working creatively with individual and groups. Their practice is focused in visual art, socially engaged practice and participatory arts with themes centering on belonging, space/place, inclusivity, voice and creative exploration. Chelsea uses methodologies that involve active listening, observation, documentation and collaboration; followed by reflection and group specific participatory activities and co-production to facilitate and plan workshops, interventions, and spaces. Their practice is multi-disciplinary and utilises a broad range of media including; drawing, collage, design and production, sound/video, animation, and conversation writing. Art and creating that occur are rarely pre-planned, but are always meticulously reflective of and shaped by the particular group and space involved, while staying focused on a participant-led process and centred on well-being. Outcomes are equally informed by Chelsea’s own response to the participants, past and present encounters, and reflection on the creative process itself.

Most Recent Arts Participation Project – School for Generational StoryTelling

An arts and health project across six care homes in Sligo with artist Eamon O’Kane and supporting artist Chelsea Canavan, addressing the needs of activities coordinators and residents through the creative process. The artists investigate the needs of each care home, working with staff to explore stories and narratives that will inform the construction of a much needed creative toolkit to be used by care home activities coordinators in their daily work.

Following a series of initial site visits with lead artist O’Kane, Canavan has been working throughout the summer with residents and staff in each care home, identifying their needs and gathering vital information for the development of the creative toolkits. With further visits planned for autumn, O’Kane has been invited as research Artist-In-Residence at The Model. Site visits to the care homes, workshops and a Training & Networking Day for activities coordinators are planned in the next phase of the project.

CLICK HERE to see images from the project (photos take by Artists Chelsea Canavan and Eamon O’Kane)

“Working with The Model has proven to be an extremely positive and healing  endeavour. Research investigating the link between creativity and well-being in patient populations has shown that the arts can promote the overall health and positive outcomes of patients. Arts and arts engagement has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress and has had positive learning effects.”

Helium Arts and the Limerick Health Hub

Helium Arts’ Creative Health Hub model is a creative approach to bring innovative, multidisciplinary projects to children and teenagers across Ireland living with health conditions. In each Creative Health Hub location, Helium’s artists deliver a continuous year-long programme of activity connecting between hospitals, community and public settings. To learn more about current programmes visit Helium’s website, check them out on Facebook or follow them on Instagram.

Sight Sound Story – Age and Opportunity

Sight, Sound, Story
Tipperary Bealtaine 2023

‘Sight, Sound, Story’ was a collaborative, multimedia project that integrated personal narratives, visual arts and soundscapes.
During Tipperary Bealtaine 2023, artists Chelsea Canavan and Andy Spearpoint worked with residents at Newport Day Care Centre, Co Tipperary. Together, they embarked on a creative journey, weaving stories associated with items of personal significance into collaborative artworks and immersive soundscapes. The project encompassed a diverse range of media, including short animations, time-lapse pieces, and various sound elements.
Chelsea Canavan is a socially engaged, multi disciplinary visual artist who uses a broad range of media including drawing, collage, construction, sound, video and animation.
Andy Spearpoint is a community musician who works with groups in education and community settings. He has been developing work for older adults involving the creation of interactive sound worlds using the voice of participants along with various home made and electronic instruments.