Community & Social Practice
I come from a socially conscious background where it was just understood that if you saw something in society that needed doing, you did it . Growing up in Clondalkin in the 1970s, there were very few arts and cultural resources. In the 1980s when I visited mental health institutions I found it deeply upsetting, the lack of engagement for people there. That's what started me thinking about how art could be a tool for social change and for individual empowerment. That's what drives this work.
I come from a socially conscious background where it was just understood that if you saw something in society that needed doing, you did it . Growing up in Clondalkin in the 1970s, there were very few arts and cultural resources. In the 1980s when I visited mental health institutions I found it deeply upsetting, the lack of engagement for people there. That's what started me thinking about how art could be a tool for social change and for individual empowerment. That's what drives this work.
Macnas Art in Schools programme 2021-2022
Macnas Artist Facilitator - Tom Meskell Hello there, welcome to the Macnas Education Programme. I am very proud to be part of the Macnas At School programme.
Macnas has an exciting and engaging catalogue of work that will act as an inspirational starting point for the work that the children will be creating. We are excited to deliver this programme to schools to celebrate creativity, imagination and magic!
Previous Art and Education Credentials I have specialised in arts and education in particular in the use of non traditional arts materials, like tissue paper, cardboard, willow, found objects, recycled materials and natural materials. I have worked for many years with County Councils, The Department of Education and Steiner Schools:
TAP –Teacher and artist partnership program – as a lead artist with schools and as a certified trainer for the summer CPD program.
Creative clusters – as a creative cluster coordinator.
Creative schools – as an artist working with schools.
County Council Arts and Schools Program – as an artist working with schools.
Steiner Schools – developed schools programmes for Steiner /Waldorf schools summer programmes.
The Art Room Exhibition - May 2015
On Friday of 29th May as part of the Bealtine Festival an exhibition of drawings and paintings was launched in the Linen hall art centre Castlebar, all the work on display was part of the “Art room” arts in care settings programme, the centers represented were – Sacred Heart Hospital Castlebar, Cuan Chaitriona Nursing Home Castlebar and St Attractas Nursing Home Charlestown.
There was a great crowd gathered at the launch, a wonderful atmosphere with staff, family, friends and participants of the art programme marvelling at the wonderful work on display.
The work looked beautiful in the Linenhall exhibition space and there were huge complements paid to the hard work and creativity of all those involved.
As per usual the staff at the Linenhall pulled out all the stops and made everyone feel welcome with tea and biscuits.
The friends of the Sacerd Heart charity were represented and were thanked by the artist for funding the programme at the Sacred Heart.
The St Vincent de paul and the Mayo county council arts office were also acknowledged for their support in art materials funding for the Sacred Heart.
The arts programme uses a participant led facilitation model, the artist facilitates the needs of the participant based on their requirement's, needs and creative aspirations.
The aim is to create an arts environment where the facilitating artist is working with the participants as fellow artists.
There was a great crowd gathered at the launch, a wonderful atmosphere with staff, family, friends and participants of the art programme marvelling at the wonderful work on display.
The work looked beautiful in the Linenhall exhibition space and there were huge complements paid to the hard work and creativity of all those involved.
As per usual the staff at the Linenhall pulled out all the stops and made everyone feel welcome with tea and biscuits.
The friends of the Sacerd Heart charity were represented and were thanked by the artist for funding the programme at the Sacred Heart.
The St Vincent de paul and the Mayo county council arts office were also acknowledged for their support in art materials funding for the Sacred Heart.
The arts programme uses a participant led facilitation model, the artist facilitates the needs of the participant based on their requirement's, needs and creative aspirations.
The aim is to create an arts environment where the facilitating artist is working with the participants as fellow artists.
Hedge School - Lough Boura 2012
Myself and Jean Conroy facillitated a group of twelve amazing people on a land art weekend at the Lough Boura Park Lands, there was a combination of individual and group work. A huge thanks to everyone involved particulary Sinéad O'Reilly arts officer in the Offaly County Council Arts Office and all her staff.
The Room
Reimagined
This is a project that was developed along with the clients of the Rural Training Centre in Castlebar for National dissability day. The work was made with recycled dumped medical devices such as wheelchairs and crutches, the resulting "robots" have been extremly well recieved, in this photoshoot the work was placed in different locations around Castlebar. The work will be Launched on the 3rd December in the Linnenhall art Centre in Castlebar.
The Sacred Heart Arts programme 2009 -2022
I was artist in residence at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar from January 2009 to October 2021, it was a life changing and very rewarding time, having this piece of video is all the more precious to me now.
In 2013, artist Tom Meskell and Róisín Loughrey were jointly awarded an inaugural bursary from WHAT via artsandhealth.ie, the national arts and health website, to document through film an arts programme involving people who have an acquired brain injury, which is facilitated by Tom at Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
The completed documentary entitled ‘The Room’ sets out to explore the small moments of magic that happen in the course of an arts programme of this nature, moments that allow for growth for both participants and the artist. Using a fly-on-the-wall approach, this film is a powerful and moving portrayal of the creative experience of long-stay hospital residents who have an acquired brain injury as a result of stroke, accident or conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer’s and reveals the profound impact of the arts programme on their lives.
I was artist in residence at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar from January 2009 to October 2021, it was a life changing and very rewarding time, having this piece of video is all the more precious to me now.
In 2013, artist Tom Meskell and Róisín Loughrey were jointly awarded an inaugural bursary from WHAT via artsandhealth.ie, the national arts and health website, to document through film an arts programme involving people who have an acquired brain injury, which is facilitated by Tom at Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
The completed documentary entitled ‘The Room’ sets out to explore the small moments of magic that happen in the course of an arts programme of this nature, moments that allow for growth for both participants and the artist. Using a fly-on-the-wall approach, this film is a powerful and moving portrayal of the creative experience of long-stay hospital residents who have an acquired brain injury as a result of stroke, accident or conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer’s and reveals the profound impact of the arts programme on their lives.
This clip shows participants from the Sacred Heart Arts programme working away and shows the beautiful work they produce.
Animated drawing by Tommy O'Boyle
Tommy was a participant of the arts group in the Sacred Heart Hospital Castlebar Co Mayo.
Bigger and Better -Turlough house 2010