Kildare Co Council gets funding for dance program to boost health

Photo shows: Hazel Hodgins (Dance Ireland), Lucina Russell (Kildare Arts Officer), Cllr Martin Miley Cathaoirleach,  Orlaith McBride (Director, Arts Council), Paul Johnson (Dance Ireland), Carolanne Courtney (Kildare Arts Health and Wellbeing), Marianne Higgins (Co. Librarian)

The Arts Council has awarded €36,500 to Kildare County Council to develop a unique and ambitious dance and health programme with Kerry and Tipperary County Councils.

Kildare Co Council will also benefit from €20,000 to commission an Indecon report (with Limerick, Leitrim and Fingal County Councils) which represents a strategic intention by the local authority partners to examine their work practices and better understand their changing roles, inform future policy development and meet future needs.

The Arts Council confirmed the award as part of their ‘Invitation to Collaboration’ scheme aimed at Local Authorities, which promotes unique collaborations through working better together and promoting access to and engagement with the arts.

The Dance and Health action research programme aims to deepen the place of dance in healthcare in partnership with the local authorities, health professionals, communities and dance artists with the overall intention of providing a model that can be used nationally.

Dance in health care settings has been proven to benefit older people or those with a chronic, degenerative condition, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.

Speaking at the launch, the dlr Lexicon, Director of the Arts Council, Orlaith McBride said: “We recently put a call out to local authorities looking for ambitious ways of collaborating and engaging communities in arts projects.

"I am delighted to confirm that Kildare was successful in two projects.

"I am confident this funding will help foster a distinctive artistic and environmental collaboration within and among local authorities, which will result in unique and meaningful public engagement opportunities.”