€140,000 fund to enhance Creative Health Services in Mayo
The project, titled Creative Ageing, will run from mid-2026 to late 2027 and will bring professional artists into healthcare and community settings to work with older people experiencing loneliness, isolation, illness and bereavement.
Roscommon County Council, in partnership with Mayo County Council, has been awarded €140,000 under the Creative Ireland Programme’s Creative Health and Wellbeing in the Community fund to deliver an ambitious two-year initiative supporting older people across the region.
The project, titled Creative Ageing, will run from mid-2026 to late 2027 and will bring professional artists into healthcare and community settings to work with older people experiencing loneliness, isolation, illness and bereavement.
Led by Roscommon County Council, with Mayo County Council as key collaborator, the programme builds on the success of the previous Care & Creativity in Context initiative (2024–2025), expanding its reach and deepening its impact through sustained creative engagement.
Creative Ageing responds to the growing challenge of social isolation among older people in rural communities. With both Roscommon and Mayo experiencing ageing populations and increased levels of people living alone, the initiative places creativity at the heart of health and wellbeing supports.
Through artist-led residencies and community-based programmes, the project aims to: Reduce loneliness and social isolation, improve emotional wellbeing and quality of life, strengthen social connections between participants, families and care teams and support positive ageing and dignity through creative expression.
The initiative will be delivered through three interconnected strands:
1. Connected Residencies: Professional artists will undertake long-term residencies in nursing homes, hospitals, hospice settings and day services, working closely with residents, patients and staff. These residencies focus on building meaningful relationships through creative practice.
2. Community Connection Pathways: Older people living independently will be supported through Social Prescribing and Age Friendly networks to access creative workshops, cafés and cultural activities in libraries and community spaces.
3. Bereavement, Memory and Legacy (Pilot): A new pilot strand in Year 2 will support individuals and families experiencing grief, offering creative approaches to memory-making, reflection and connection. Together, these strands will create accessible pathways into creativity for those most at risk of isolation across both counties. Creative Ageing will be delivered through a cross-sector collaboration involving: Roscommon County Council and Mayo County Council, HSE services (health promotion, older persons’ services, hospitals and palliative care), Age Friendly Ireland and Social Prescribing networks, Irish Hospice Foundation, Age & Opportunity and other cultural partners, Libraries, arts venues and community organisations
This partnership ensures that creativity is embedded directly within healthcare and community systems. The programme will engage a cohort of trained creatives, providing paid opportunities, mentoring and ongoing professional development. It will also generate important learning and evaluation to inform future arts-and-health initiatives nationally.
Expected outcomes include improved wellbeing and reduced isolation for participants, increased integration of creative practice in care settings, strengthened community connections and a sustainable model for creative health delivery in rural contexts.
Creative Ageing adopts a Life Course Approach aligned with Healthy Ireland, recognising the role of creativity in supporting health and wellbeing at every stage of life.
By embedding artists within everyday care environments, the initiative ensures that older people, particularly those most isolated, are supported to feel seen, heard and valued. Information and updates about the project in Mayo will be available on www.mayo.ie.