Based in Kilkenny, Edwina Bracken’s work has been widely exhibited in the UK and Ireland. Her first solo show, Remote Proximities, was listed among the top ten exhibitions in the UK by Artist News and toured to Aberdeen and the RHA Gallery, Dublin. She has participated in residencies in the US, UK, and Australia, with notable exhibitions including the Royal Scottish Academy Summer Shows, Generation Scotland at Paisley Museum, and Irish Art in the UK at Westminster Hall, London. Edwina holds an MLitt in Painting from Glasgow School of Art and a BA Hons from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. Her work is included in private collections internationally, including the HRH Prince of Wales Collection at Dumfries House Estate.

Edwina says of her artistic practice, “My motivation as an artist is to know paint better and relate to it by making work that speaks to others in ways that are understood on both an aesthetic and intellectual level. I get energy from painting. The physical action of using paint is both a source of investigation and meditation for me. How paint behaves; its elasticity, viscosity, transparency and colour determine how my compositions develop. I enjoy exploring passive and active areas, contrasting textures and colours, which create boundaries and interesting spaces of stillness and intensity.”

The Waterford Healing Arts programmes bring arts experiences – music, visual art, creative writing and storytelling – to patients at UHW and other healthcare settings. These arts and health programmes promote creativity, connection and discovery and seek to reduce isolation, anxiety and stress for patients, family members and staff, and are delivered by professional artists in partnership with healthcare professionals.  The Waterford Healing Arts programmes are part of Réalta, the national resource organisation for arts + health in Ireland. Réalta is core funded by the Arts Council and the HSE.

For more information about Edwina Bracken’s work, visit www.edwinabracken.com

Further info: Aisling Kennedy, Réalta, aisling.kennedy@realta.ie / 051-842664

Image: Edwina Bracken on front of her exhibition in-situ at UHW, July 2025.

Full job descriptions are avaiable here:
Assistant Administrator
Art Installer 

The Assistant Administrator will assist with all administrative tasks to ensure the smooth running of the organisation.  The Art Installer has responsibility for the maintenance of the Art Collection at UHW and the installation of art exhibitions. Together, these roles contribute to Réalta’s mission, to support the delivery and presentation of high-quality arts experiences in healthcare settings.

As the national resource organisation for arts + health in Ireland, Réalta seeks to increase understanding and support for arts and health, and to embed the arts into healthcare provision in Ireland through training programmes; providing information, mentoring and advice; supporting networking, and engaging with the HSE and other policy makers.  Réalta manages the Waterford Healing Arts programmes and the information hub artsandhealth.ie and is core funded by the Arts Council and the HSE.  Réalta is an independent, registered charity, in operation for over 30 years.

The Waterford Healing Arts programmes bring music, visual art, creative writing and storytelling to patients at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and other healthcare settings to lift spirits and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families who are going through the incredibly difficult experience of illness.

Announcing details of the recruitment drive, Claire Meaney, Director of Réalta, said “As key members of our team, the Assistant Administrator and the Art Installer play a vital role in keeping our organisation running smoothly. We are passionate about our work, we’re a tight team and we look after each other really well.  We’re looking for similarly motivated and dynamic individuals to come and see for themselves what a great place Réalta is to work, and to experience how rewarding it can be witnessing first-hand the benefits of arts and health.  If anyone would like to have a chat about either role before applying, please contact us on 051 842664 / claire.meaney@realta.ie”

Grace’s favourite subjects to paint are the rural and urban landscapes of the south-east, along with the people, animals and nature that inhabit these spaces. Animal Tales follows Grace’s Day Tripping exhibition in 2024, and tells stories of her animal encounters in the south-east.

Grace’s paintings are influenced by memories of her Malaysian childhood, and the use of ‘white space’ typically featured in Chinese-style watercolours.  She loves to capture the ‘moment’ in her work, which is evident in the movement, fluidity and spontaneity of her brushwork, and her vibrant use of colour.

Grace can often be found in her camping chair, painting the most picturesque locations around with the Waterford Sketchers and South East Plein Air (SEPA) Group. She is a regular participant in plein air festivals such as Art in the Open, exhibitions of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, and Incognito, the annual secret art auction by the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.

All artworks are for sale. Further info: info@realta.ie /051-842664.

Réalta is the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Through its national programme, Réalta delivers training; provides information, mentoring and advice; supports networking; engages with the HSE and other policy makers to increase understanding and support for arts + health; and provides the encyclopaedic national resource website artsandhealth.ie. At local level, Réalta delivers its extensive Waterford Healing Arts programme, which brings music, visual art, creative writing and storytelling to the bedside of patients at University Hospital Waterford and other healthcare settings to promote creativity, connection and discovery, and reduce isolation, anxiety and stress for patients, family members and staff. The Waterford Healing Arts programme also provides rich examples of good practice, and research, pilots and evaluates new ideas, all of which informs Réalta’s national work. Réalta is core funded by the Arts Council and the HSE.

Witches, Cats and Flowers, the first art exhibition by Renal Dialysis patient Nicola Power, was launched at Réalta/Waterford Healing Arts Centre for Arts + Health at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) on Tuesday 22 April.  A capacity crowd of family, friends and staff from the Renal Dialysis Unit at UHW came together to celebrate this milestone achievement.  Witches, Cats and Flowers is a beautiful collection of art created by Nicola, under the gentle guidance of Waterford Healing Arts artist Philip Cullen.  Artworks are for sale from Réalta/Waterford Healing Arts at UHW, 051 842664 / info@realta.ie  The exhibition continues until 6 May, and will then be on display in the reception area of the Renal Dialysis Unit at UHW for a further six weeks.

A native of Tramore, Nicola attends the Brothers of Charity Services in Waterford.  She has been a Renal Dialysis patient for six years.  It was during her dialysis sessions that Nicola connected with our Waterford Healing Arts programme, which supports patients through their long hours of treatment by providing opportunities to be creative through visual art, creative writing, music and storytelling.

Artist Philip Cullen has been working with the Waterford Healing Arts Programme for nearly 20 years, and when he began working with Nicola two years ago, it soon became clear that she had a unique, colourful and exuberant artistic style.  Speaking at the launch, Philip said “I love Nicola’s colour and the craic that we have.  It’s not easy being on dialysis; it’s a difficult thing to go through, but Nicola is always in good form.  And I’m stunned, seeing the whole exhibition here tonight, its beauty and colour.  Congratulations, Nicola.  We did really well!”

Dr Sean Leavey, Consultant Nephrologist at UHW, also spoke enthusiastically about Nicola’s art: “Nicola is a breath of fresh air.  The colour and warmth of Nicola’s creativity is fantastic.  She’s a warm, colourful, joyful person, and that’s evident in her art.”  Dr Leavey went on to pay tribute to the Waterford Healing Arts programme: “By sharing Nicola’s creativity with us, Waterford Healing Arts allows us as a medical team to see the person, the life that’s being lived, so it becomes not about illness, but about the person on their journey.  That is critical for us.”

Jane Cullen, Clinical Nurse Manager of the Renal Dialysis Unit at UHW, added “Nicola has been an inspiration to all of us in the Renal Dialysis Unit over the course of this process.  Proof of all her hard work is here tonight.  Nicola, we’re immensely proud of you.”

Rebecca O’Neill from the Brothers of Charity also congratulated Nicola on her achievement: “On behalf of all of the Brothers of Charity Services, especially Tory and Nova Services, we would like to say that we are very proud of Nicola.  We would like to thank the staff of the Dialysis Unit for taking care of Nicola, and also the staff of Waterford Healing Arts for helping Nicola to achieve her dream of having her own art exhibition.”

The final word went to Nicola herself, the star of the evening: “Welcome to my art exhibition.  I would like to thank the Dialysis Unit staff, Philip, Maeve, Claire and Tom from Waterford Healing Arts for all their help, and also my family and friends.  I hope you enjoy the evening.”

Waterford Healing Arts brings music, visual art, creative writing and storytelling to the bedside of patients at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and other healthcare settings. This extensive arts + health programme is part of Réalta, the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland.  Réalta is core funded by the Arts Council and the HSE.
www.waterfordhealingarts.com | www.realta.ie

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Created in close collaboration with the UHW maternity team, The Night Garden features a full moon surrounded by stars, planets, and flourishing plant life. Suspended above the birthing pool, the lightbox offers a tranquil focal point, drawing on natural imagery and the quiet strength of the night sky to evoke peace and serenity.

Rayleen says, “The intention is to transport the viewer into a serene night garden, creating a beautiful relaxing space.”

Victoria Byrne, Midwife Practitioner and member of the maternity team at UHW shared how meaningful the artwork is in practice:

“The artwork is a powerful piece and represents mothers feeling empowered for a positive birthing experience and to be in control of their birth. The art reflects and represents a safe place—when the lights dim it represents a cave or a safe place to zone out but remain in control and alert, a meditative state, a transitional stage of life.”

This installation is part of the Waterford Healing Arts programme’s ongoing mission to enhance the hospital environment through meaningful arts experiences. By integrating art into healthcare settings, the organisation seeks to reduce stress and anxiety, promote well-being, and make clinical spaces more welcoming for patients, families, and staff alike.

In addition to this permanent installation, Rayleen Clancy will present a solo exhibition of her work at UHW in winter 2025/26, offering a wider audience the chance to experience her beautiful work.

Réalta is the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Through its national programme, Réalta delivers training; provides information, mentoring and advice; supports networking; engages with the HSE and other policy makers to increase understanding and support for arts + health; and provides the encyclopaedic national resource website artsandhealth.ie. At local level, Réalta delivers its extensive Waterford Healing Arts programme, which brings music, visual art, creative writing and storytelling to the bedside of patients at University Hospital Waterford and other healthcare settings to promote creativity, connection and discovery, and reduce isolation, anxiety and stress for patients, family members and staff. The Waterford Healing Arts programme also provides rich examples of good practice, and research, pilots and evaluates new ideas, all of which informs Réalta’s national work. Réalta is core funded by the Arts Council and the HSE.

Further info: info@realta.ie /051-842664

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Réalta has published details for Arts + Health: Check Up Check In 2025 and is thrilled to reveal that Dr Tony Bates will be this year’s Keynote Speaker.  Dr Bates is a clinical psychologist and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at University College Dublin.  He is well known throughout Ireland for his warm and engaging writing and interviews on psychology-related topics.  For Check Up Check In, his Keynote title will be ‘The Art of Making our Lives Work’.  Arts + Health: Check Up Check In will take place on Wednesday 30 April in Esker Arts, Tullamore.  Organised by Réalta, this ‘go to’ event for the arts and health sector features presentations by some of the most exciting and inspiring practitioners working in this field today.  The fee for the full day, including lunch, is €30.  Click here to book your place or visit www.realta.ie for more details (or read below).

Arts + Health: Check Up Check In is open to arts practitioners, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in learning more about this exciting area.  Check Up Check In provides an opportunity for participants to come together to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and support and inspire each other in their practice through a range of themed presentations and workshops.

Keynote Speaker Dr Tony Bates was Head of the Dept of Psychology for 30 years at St James’ Hospital Dublin.  Following psychotherapy training at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford, he established the MSc in Cognitive Psychotherapy at Trinity College Dublin.  In 2006, he created Jigsaw, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health.  He trained as a mindfulness teacher at the University of Wales, Bangor, in 2001 and is patron of the Mindfulness Teachers Association of Ireland.  His memoir Breaking the Heart Open: The shaping of a psychologist, was published in 2023. Tony lives on a headland in north Sligo, where he writes, consults and looks after a large garden with hens, giant Flemish rabbits, cats and wild birds.  He is married to Ursula, and he is father of three and grandfather of five.

Further highlights of this year’s exciting Arts + Health: Check Up Check In programme include:

– Sticking Points: What to do when you get stuck – Artists and healthcare professionals share challenges they have faced in their work and look for solutions to overcome them.

– Case Study: Mending HeArts  – An art project which enhances health and wellbeing for cardiac patients across Galway City and County.  This Creative Ireland-funded project is led by Galway City Council in partnership with Galway County Council, Saolta Arts and Croí Heart & Stroke Charity, in collaboration with HSE West North West.

– What’s My Practice? – A series of workshops examining methodologies employed in collaborative/ participatory arts and health practice in Ireland, across a range of artforms and healthcare contexts.

Announcing details of Arts + Health: Check Up Check In 2025, Claire Meaney, Director of Réalta said “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Dr Tony Bates as our Keynote Speaker for Arts + Health: Check Up Check In 2025.  His life-long commitment to positive mental health for all, his deep empathy for his fellow human beings and his engaging and compassionate approach make him one of Ireland’s most highly regarded and sought after healthcare professionals and communicators.  We are thrilled and deeply grateful that Dr Bates is joining us this year.  Arts + Health: Check Up Check In is a unique opportunity for artists, healthcare professionals, researchers and policy makers to connect, learn, and be inspired.  We’re delighted to be presenting this thought-provoking day in Tullamore this year, and we’re most appreciative to Esker Arts and Offaly County Council, in addition to our core funders the Arts Council and the HSE, for all their support.”

Réalta is the national resource organisation dedicated to strengthening and advancing Arts + Health in Ireland.  Réalta encompasses artsandhealth.ie, an independent information hub, and the extensive Waterford Healing Arts programme.  Arts + Health: Check Up Check In is funded by the Arts Council and the HSE and is supported in 2025 by Offaly County Council Arts Office and Esker Arts.

Arts and health programmes comprise a range of arts experiences, presented in healthcare settings, for the benefit of health service users, healthcare staff and artists. This expanding field of work fosters creativity, wellbeing and access to the arts and is based on partnership between the artists, arts organisations and those working in healthcare and/or the wider community. Further information about all aspects of arts and health work is available on www.artsandhealth.ie

Photo of Dr Tony Bates by John Howard

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Admission is free (no booking required), with a collection in aid of the Healing Sounds programme run by Waterford Healing Arts.

SETU Staff Choir

Founded in September 2023, the SETU Staff Choir was established as an integration initiative between staff at the Carlow and Waterford campuses. While members rehearse separately on their respective campuses, they come together twice a year for Saturday workshops. After a successful debut concert in March 2024, they have since performed at events across SETU Carlow, SETU Waterford, and the wider community.

Beyond its musical achievements, the choir has been a fantastic way for staff to connect across departments. Sinéad Crowley and Regina Hanley direct the choir, with Oonagh Drohan as accompanist.

Cór Chroí Waterford HSE Staff Choir

Cór Chroí grew out of a Drop-in & Sing initiative run by Waterford Healing Arts in 2023. Meeting weekly under the musical direction of Damien Kehoe, the choir has performed at events including Winterval Festival, a 7am Dawn Chorus, and Remembrance Services for the Oak Ward at University Hospital Waterford (UHW). Members include both current and former HSE staff.

Adam Mernin – Trumpet

A 6th Year student at Waterpark College, Adam has been playing brass since the age of 7 under the tutelage of Gavin Barr with City of Waterford Brass. Currently their Principal Cornet, he has also been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland since age 13. Adam performs with the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble, IAYO Festival Orchestra, Carlow Youth Orchestra, and Waterford Lions Club Christmas Orchestra. As a soloist, he has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Feis Ceoil, and has performed in the John Field Room at the National Concert Hall.

Healing Sounds – Music in Healthcare

Healing Sounds brings live music by professional musicians to the bedsides of patients at University Hospital Waterford to reduce anxiety and stress for patients, family members and staff, and to soften the clinical environment. Healing Sounds takes place in Palliative, Oncology, Cardiology, Renal Dialysis and Elder Care wards.

The collection is called, Mothers’ Love. In it, Marley’s exuberant use of colour, applied with a palette knife, evokes the family atmosphere of summertime at the beach in Dunmore East.

Marley Irish has been a nurse for 42 years and currently works in the Dermatology Department at UHW.  Marley is also a prolific artist. Her work is inspired by the Impressionist Movement, especially the art of Edgar Degas. Marley paints in her St. Ives Gallery in Slieverue, South Kilkenny.  For further information see marleyirish.com

The Staff Art Wall is an initiative of Waterford Healing Arts which aims to celebrate the creativity of staff working at UHW by providing an opportunity to display their work at the hospital. If you work at UHW and would like to exhibit your art on the Staff Art Wall, please contact: (051) 842664 or info@realta.ie

Yutori is a unique ambient sound art installation by Patrick McGlynn/Dr Mindflip. It has been unveiled at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) to coincide with the launch of the Well Festival of Arts & Wellbeing. You can experience Yutori along the corridor leading to the Outpatients Department at UHW, the exhibition runs until 11 April 2025. Be sure to listen out for it! The exhibition programme at UHW is part of the Waterford Healing Arts programme, which is managed by Réalta, the national resource organisation for arts + health in Ireland.

Yutori presents a unique, ever-evolving soundscape that changes depending on the day, hour and minute the listener happens upon it – a personal performance that will never repeat. The device itself is encased in a simple wooden box. While layers of intricate textures converge and diverge, melodic fragments and rippling drones combine, infusing the environment with an engaging yet subtle mood.  Yutori has been created as an invitation to the listener to take a moment, allow themselves to be carried by the stream of sound, and create space for their own thoughts and emotions.

Dr Patrick McGlynn is a producer, composer and sound artist working in the arts and academic sectors in Ireland.  He is a passionate creator, facilitator and supporter of collaborative arts projects in Ireland and abroad.

Réalta is the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Through its national programme, Réalta delivers training; provides information, mentoring and advice; supports networking; engages with the HSE and other policy makers to increase understanding and support for arts + health; and provides the encyclopaedic national resource website artsandhealth.ie. At local level, Réalta delivers its extensive Waterford Healing Arts programme, which brings music, visual art, creative writing and storytelling to the bedside of patients at University Hospital Waterford and other healthcare settings to promote creativity, connection and discovery, and reduce isolation, anxiety and stress for patients, family members and staff. The Waterford Healing Arts programme also provides rich examples of good practice, and research, pilots and evaluates new ideas, all of which informs Réalta’s national work. Réalta is core funded by the Arts Council and the HSE.

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Further info: Aisling Kennedy, Réalta, aisling.kennedy@realta.ie /051-842664

Image: Yutori in-situ, 2025. Photo by DGM Photography.

For more information about Patrick’s work, visit: https://drmindflip.com/

Réalta/Waterford Healing Arts is widely recognised among the community for its positive impact on patients and their families, bringing comfort and joy through the arts, and reminding people that beauty still exists, even in the midst of some of the most difficult times in their lives. “The music built my heart up again – I feel ready for anything now.” (Patient, Oncology Ward, UHW)

At local level, Réalta manages our extensive Waterford Healing Arts programme, bringing music, art, creative writing and storytelling to patients in hospital and other healthcare settings to lift spirits and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families who are going through the incredibly difficult experience of illness.  At national level, we provide training, mentoring and advice in this specialised area of arts + health, in addition to boundless information and resources via our website www.artsandhealth.ie  We are an independent, registered charity and have been in operation for over 30 years.

The PTSB Community Fund provides funding to community organisations that are working hard to make a difference in Ireland.  Réalta is delighted to have been shortlisted for the South and East region in Ireland.  The two charities that receive the most votes in each region will become PTSB’s Community Fund Partners for the year.

Please cast your vote by following this link: https://bit.ly/3CYRDl0 (Go to ‘Region South and East’ and select ‘Réalta trading as Arts + Health Ireland’)

Just one vote could make all the difference.
As a registered charity, the funding from PTSB would greatly help Réalta to continue our Waterford Healing Arts programmes on the ground, our resource website www.artsandhealth.ie and our national drive to ease the burden of illness and ensure the benefits of arts + health reach all patients throughout Ireland.

Voting closes on Friday, 14 March, at 6.00pm.

Thank you for your support and please spread the word.

Additional info: Here are just a couple of examples of the impact of our work, so you can see where your vote will go:

“Please pass on our sincere thanks to all the team for the joy they brought to Dad (and ourselves) during his time on Oak Ward… It enabled us to make some wonderful memories during Dad’s final weeks and for that we are eternally grateful.” (Family, Oak Ward, South East Palliative Care Centre)

“The joy music brings to me is unreal.  This has made my day.  Thank you.” (Patient, Palliative Care)

“Can you pass on my thanks to everyone involved in the music.  It brought a normality to a lot of patients who are in hospital for long periods and brings them relief, both socially and psychologically.  It would be great if you could provide this on a more regular basis.  I understand the (financial) constraints, but the benefits of being ‘normal’ for a short space of time greatly aids the mood and recovery of patients on our ward.” (Clinical Nurse Manager, Oncology Ward, UHW)

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