Help Support Cork Safety Alerts – Donate the price of a coffee here via Stripe: https://csalert.ie/donate
The Irish Museum of Modern Art hosted a significant Traveller Creative Arts Showcase this week, co-hosted by the HSE and the Arts Council. The event provided a platform for the Traveller community to reflect on their cultural identity, share creative initiatives, and engage with stakeholders to explore how creativity can support their wellbeing.
The showcase highlighted the results of the Traveller Wellbeing through Creativity Pilot Programme, a collaboration launched in 2022 to enhance Traveller health and wellbeing through arts and cultural expression. Travellers demonstrated their talents across various art forms, including rap, spoken word poetry, photography, visual arts, and performance.
Martin Collins, Co-Director of Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre, speaking at the event, emphasised the importance of long-term sustainability for such initiatives:
“Today’s event is really important. We need to find ways to have long-term sustainable projects that create the conditions for Travellers to research, document and engage with our own cultural expression and identity. One of the benefits of this, as we see today, is the benefits that arts can bring to Traveller mental health and wellbeing and Travellers’ sense of pride in the face of ongoing racism and discrimination.”
The initiative provided grant funding of up to €50,000 to nine projects over two years, showcasing innovative collaborations between Traveller organisations, health bodies, and arts groups. Among the projects presented were partnerships from Limerick, Ballymun, North Cork, and Galway.
Bernard Gloster, HSE CEO, commended the participants:
“I would like to congratulate the participants for the breadth and depth of works produced through this initiative, demonstrating the powerful connection between arts, cultural expression, and wellbeing. In progressing the National Traveller Health Action Plan, the HSE is committed to working in partnership with other sectors to overcome the significant health inequalities experienced by Travellers.”
The programme evaluation revealed that creative engagement enables Travellers to express their culture and heritage positively, significantly improving mental health and wellbeing. It also underscored the urgent need to address stark health inequalities faced by the Traveller community.
Statistics from the All-Ireland Traveller Health Study (2010) highlight these challenges, including a Traveller mortality rate 3.5 times higher than the general population and life expectancy disparities of 15 years for men and 11 years for women. Traveller suicide rates are nearly seven times higher than the national average.
Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, reiterated the importance of collaboration:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the ongoing work that has been developed as part of the Traveller Wellbeing through Creativity Pilot Initiative. It is incredibly important to understand how we can continue to work in partnership with Travellers and at a national level to create new and long-term supports for Traveller arts and health in Ireland.”
The event underscored the value of creativity in addressing health inequalities and fostering social inclusion. The HSE, Arts Council, Creative Ireland, and other partners remain committed to expanding these initiatives and supporting the Traveller community in achieving better health outcomes through cultural expression.