Project

Mending HeArts

Year

Ongoing

Artists
  • Various
Funded by
  • Creative Ireland
Supported by
  • HSE
  • Saolta Arts
  • Galway City Council
  • Galway County Council
  • Healthy Ireland
  • Croí Heart and Stroke Charity

“I felt lost after my heart operation. I had no desire or motivation, I could barely bother to get dressed. I stopped seeing my friends and taking phone calls. It was my sister that got me to come to the art workshop. I feel inspired now, it was fabulous.”

— Participant

Mending HeArts is a participatory arts and health programme designed to support people recovering from cardiac and stroke-related conditions. Through creative workshops led by professional artists, the programme offers a space for expression, connection, and emotional wellbeing during recovery.

Funded by Creative Ireland, the Mending HeArts Project is a partnership between Saolta Arts, HSE West and Noth West, Galway City Council, Galway County Council, Healthy Ireland and  Croí Heart and Stroke Charity, that seeks to integrate participatory arts into healthcare and community settings.

Workshops take place in hospitals, community venues, and libraries across the west of Ireland, including locations like University Hospital Galway, Merlin Park University Hospital, Portiuncula University Hospital, Croí House, Ballinasloe and Loughrea. Activities include printmaking, collage, drawing, and mixed media — no previous art experience is needed, and all materials are provided.

The sessions are calm, inclusive, and tailored to meet participants wherever they are on their recovery journey. Many who have taken part say the sessions helped them feel more relaxed, uplifted, and connected to others.

The Mending HeArts project highlights the transformative power of arts in healthcare and the impact of collaboration between government bodies and non-profits. It demonstrates how creativity can be embedded sustainably in healthcare, not as a one-off intervention, but as a scalable model to enhance patient care.

For more information please email saoltaarts@hse.ie

Photo Credit: Tom Flannagan