Matchmaking For Artmaking Artists Profiles
Please find here profiles for artists interested in partnering with a care settings or libraries. Feel free to use the provided contact details to get in touch!
Some things to note:
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Artists should establish their own terms and boundaries before beginning any work, particularily around payment and working conditions. Refer to the WISE resources page for further resources on this.
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Please note: Age & Opportunity is facilitating these connections but is not responsible for managing any resulting working relationships. Artists are responsible for their own arrangements. Age and Opportunity is not a funding body but can direct to funding sources.
Leinster
Brian Toomey
Brian Toomey has been facilitating music sessions in nursing homes and day care centres across Wexford and Carlow for over twenty years. With a lifelong involvement in music and a deep interest in dementia and Alzheimer’s, Brian creates interactive experiences that encourage participation, connection, and joy through song.
He led a successful pre-Covid pilot project in Bunclody titled Dementia Training in the Retail Trade, which resulted in the formation of the Wexford Dementia Alliance. Recently, Brian developed a video resource designed for care settings and home visits, offering opportunities for sing-alongs and shared musical moments. His repertoire includes familiar songs that invite residents to join in, sparking conversation and reminiscence.
Brian’s approach is rooted in collaboration and engagement, aiming to create inclusive spaces where music becomes a shared experience that supports well-being and social connection.
Contact Details: briantoomey2004@gmail.com
Available to Work In:
Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wicklow
Cathy Callan
Cathy Callan is a socially engaged artist based in Athy, Co. Kildare, working with care homes, hospitals, and community groups to co-create meaningful, therapeutic art experiences. Her practice is rooted in listening and collaboration, using mixed media—including video and digital tools—to support residents, patients, and marginalized groups in expressing themselves creatively.
As a long-term resident artist at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook, Cathy facilitates weekly painting workshops that foster connection, confidence, and joy. With a gentle, person-centred approach, she provides one-to-one attention within a supportive group setting, closely aligned with Occupational Therapy teams. Residents describe the workshops as a highlight of their week, helping them feel seen, valued, and inspired.
Website and Contact Details
https://www.cathycallan.com
cathy.callan@gmail.com
Available to Work In
South Kildare, Carlow and Laois
Gabrielle Breathnach
Gabrielle is an experienced actor, theatre maker, and facilitator with over 30 years in the arts. A graduate of the Samuel Beckett Centre at Trinity College Dublin, she has dedicated more than two decades to using drama as a tool for expression, connection, and well-being in community settings. Her recent focus is on working with residents in long-term care, where she employs a gentle, playful approach that blends storytelling, movement, song, and improvisation. This creates safe, reflective spaces for exploring memory, loss, identity, and joy.
Her project Unveiling Shadows, supported by the Irish Hospice Foundation, brought drama-based sessions to residents at Anna Gaynor House in Harold’s Cross Hospice, encouraging personal storytelling and shared expression. Gabrielle has also collaborated with the Tallaght Carers Group, using drama to explore the emotional landscape of caregiving. Her practice is rooted in deep listening and the belief that theatre offers individuals a space to explore, create, and feel heard.
Currently, Gabrielle is developing a new play titled Fragments, supported by The Arts Council, based on her lived experience of caring for both parents who had Alzheimer’s.
Relevant Skills:
Experience with dementia, physical disabilities and Parkinsons disease. Experience with a range of mobillity and engagmenet levels.
Website and Contact Details:
086 848 4448
gabriellebreathnach@gmail.com
Available to Work In:
Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow
Grace Lambert
Grace Lambert is a professional musician specialising in fiddle and vocals, with a strong background in performing across diverse settings. Formerly a nurse in various healthcare facilities in Dublin, including elder care, Grace has integrated her clinical experience with her musical practice to become an Art in Healthcare practitioner. She now works in residential and day care services, using music to foster meaningful interactions through song and conversation.
Her sessions feature well-known traditional songs—folk and classic popular tunes—as well as traditional instrumental pieces such as jigs, polkas, and waltzes. These are chosen to resonate with older participants and often include opportunities for group singing and discussion. Grace’s approach is sensitive and person-centred, ensuring that each participant feels heard, valued, and included in the creative process.
She has received consistent positive feedback highlighting the therapeutic benefits of music in group settings, and she remains deeply committed to the emotional and social impact of her work.
Relevant Skills:
Experience working with individuals with demenia, mental health coniditions and sensory decline.
Website and Contact Details
woahgrace@gmail.com
Available to Work In
Dublin, Wicklow
Maria Corcoran
Maria Corcoran is a circus artist, performer, and workshop facilitator who uses circus as a tool for creativity, play, and connection. She performs at arts festivals both nationally and internationally and brings circus skills to groups of all ages and abilities. Recently, Maria has begun working with older people, finding the experience deeply rewarding and enriched by participants’ humour, imagination, and life experience.
Her workshops are gentle, fun, and inclusive, using props such as scarves, feathers, soft balls, and ribbons to explore movement, rhythm, and play. Activities may include passing objects around a circle, creating group stories, singing, or balancing feathers. Music, improvisation, and sensory engagement are woven throughout, with elements of theatre and clowning guiding playful interactions and imaginative exercises that invite laughter and self-expression.
Each session is adapted to the group’s needs and energy on the day. The focus is not on learning tricks, but on creating a safe, friendly atmosphere where participants feel free to be themselves, connect with others, and enjoy the moment. Maria’s aim is to nurture joy and create a supportive space where creativity can flourish and everyone is seen and celebrated.
Website and Contact Details:
https://www.mariacorcoran.com
mariaecorcoran@gmail.com
Available to Work In:
Westmeath, Longford, Meath, Offaly
Orla McFeely
Orla McFeely graduated from the Central School of Ballet in London and began her career performing with English National Opera in several productions before taking on the role of Victoria the White Cat in Cats UK. She ran the McFeely School of Dance in Dublin for 20 years and holds a teaching diploma from London.
For the past seven years, Orla has delivered TAP and Blast projects in primary and post-primary schools across Meath. Most recently, she worked as the creative dance artist on a special project at St Mary’s Special School in Johnstown, Navan, engaging students in the school and special care unit. She has extensive experience working with children and adults with additional needs, including high-dependency adults at Prosper Meath and weekly classes for Special Hands Athboy, where she also choreographs their shows.
Orla has collaborated with her local Active Retirement group and entertained in nursing homes. She offers gentle chair-based exercises, creative movement, and percussion workshops, often incorporating props like scarves and ribbons. Her work also includes projects with Tag Meath Autism Group and Down Syndrome Meath and Louth branches. Orla is passionate about creating inclusive, joyful spaces where participants can connect and express themselves.
Contact Details
087 260 3363
orlamcfeely@gmail.com
Available to Work In
Meath, Drogheda
Anna D. Atkinson
Anna D. Atkinson is an eco-conscious artist, coach, and creative practitioner based in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. She specialises in mixed media and encaustic painting, working with vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainably sourced materials. Her art often incorporates recycled, upcycled, and foraged objects, transforming vintage and preloved items into unique creations that tell their own stories.
Anna draws inspiration from Ireland’s rugged landscapes, the beauty of animals, and the wisdom of women and indigenous cultures. Her creative process is deeply tied to her own journey of mental health and wellbeing, spirituality, and connection with nature. Guided by her faith in a Creator God, she believes every individual is a unique creation with infinite potential.
As a coach and mentor, Anna supports older women who want to lead eco-conscious, creative lives and businesses. She offers tailored coaching programs, eco art workshops, creative wellbeing sessions, and upcycling projects. Anna collaborates with women’s groups, organisations, and individuals to design meaningful, sustainable projects. She is especially passionate about working with older people in care homes, helping them find joy and purpose through art, nature, and spirituality. Her holistic approach nurtures mental health and wellbeing, fostering creativity, connection, and a sense of belonging.
Website & Contact Details
annadatkinson@gmail.com
Available to Work In
Longford, Westmeath, Roscommon, Cavan, Leitrim, Galway, Sligo, Mayo, Dublin – ( Given advance notice I can also organise to work in other counties)
Munster & Connaught
Emer Barrett
Emer Barrett’s practice sits at the intersection of art, education, and community engagement. As both artist and educator, she views creativity as an act of empowerment — a process through which individuals discover their own agency, voice, and capacity to shape the world around them. Her work explores how art can foster belonging, dialogue, and transformation, particularly among marginalised groups.
With over a decade of teaching and facilitation experience across Ireland, the UK, and the Middle East, Emer designs participatory experiences that prioritise inclusion and imagination. Working through ceramics, mixed media, and collaborative workshops, her approach is rooted in accessibility, experimentation, and care. She sees art-making as a shared space where process holds equal weight to outcome, and where play and reflection coexist.
Currently completing an MA in Arts & Engagement at Crawford College of Art & Design, Emer’s research continues to explore the social potential of creativity. She is motivated by a simple belief: that art, when meaningfully connected to people’s lives, can build bridges across difference and reveal the extraordinary within the everyday.
Contact Details
emerbarrettart@gmail.com
Available to Work In
Cork
Lynn Kenny
Lynn Kenny is a visual artist and art facilitator with over 30 years of experience. She currently works as a creative activities coordinator in a nursing home day centre, designing daily programmes that include visual arts, music, and creative writing. Lynn’s personal practice centres on machine and hand stitching, mixed media, and craft skills. Stitch has been a significant expressive tool in her work, used for mark-making, texture, and drawing.
She incorporates these techniques into her facilitation, combining practical psychology concepts to enhance well-being opportunities. Lynn has a long history of working in education and community projects, creating spaces for creativity and expression. She has a particular passion for working with older adults, offering opportunities that are both new and familiar, tapping into past creative experiences while introducing fresh approaches.
Currently studying for a Master’s in Arts and Engagement at MTU Cork, Lynn continues to explore how visual arts can foster connection, meaning, and joy for participants.
Website and Contact Details:
http://www.lynnkenny.com
lynnkenny@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynndoescreativity/?hl=en
Available to Work In:
East Clare, North Tipperary, Limerick area
Niamh Gibbon
Niamh Gibbon is a visual artist, creative facilitator, and permaculture facilitator based in the West of Ireland. Her interdisciplinary practice spans photography, printmaking, clay, zine-making, and storytelling, often within arts and health and community contexts. Deeply rooted in folklore, heritage, and rural traditions, Niamh’s work consistently explores the connection between people and place.
Her practice prioritises co-creation, accessibility, and inclusive arts, with a strong focus on eco-arts and community health and well-being. Through projects such as Calli Collective, she gathers communities around creative food sharing and folk customs, creating spaces for knowledge exchange and connection. Another initiative, Ancestors Supper, connects communities through food, ritual, and shared cultural heritage.
Recent collaborations include intergenerational arts projects and participatory arts in nursing homes and care settings. Activities such as visual arts, eco-arts, and nature-based practices—like mandala making and foraging—invite participants to share memories, explore identity, and nurture connection.
Website and Contact Details
niamhnigibbon@gmail.com
https://vimeo.com/niamhgibbonsfilm
Available to Work In
Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo
Rachel Lartey
Rachel Lartey is a social practice artist whose work is rooted in dialogical and participatory art, centred on collaboration and meaningful engagement with individuals and communities. Her practice prioritises process over product, often evolving through shared dialogue, co-creation, and interaction. At the heart of her work is an exploration of narrative forms that emerge from connections with place, memory, and collective experience.
Rachel is particularly interested in how these connections shape identity, belonging, and visibility. Recent projects have focused on ageism, self-ageism, personal identity, and the nuances of being seen. Her collaborative work gently engages with themes of inclusion and advocacy, inviting a deeper sense of belonging and connection through relationships with place and community.
Website and Contact Details:
Reframing Ageing through Storytelling | Age Friendly Ireland
roamcork.ie
087 142 2289
rlartey@clannhousing.ie
Available to Work In
Cork
Ruth O’Leary
Ruth O’Leary is a violinist, vocalist, and composer whose practice explores how music can foster connection, dignity, and joy for older adults, particularly those living with dementia. She is currently part of the Artist Care Exchange Programme and is working closely with the heads of two dementia units in her area. Ruth will soon shadow the National Concert Hall’s Health & Harmony programme to gain deeper insight into daily routines, sensitivities, and care needs within these settings.
Her work with older adults includes co-directing the Seenager Concert with her sister—a choir and drumming project in a retirement community delivered in partnership with West Limerick Resources, Drum Dance Ireland, and the former Musical Director of the Limerick Gospel Choir. After six rehearsals, residents performed a joyful concert to a sold-out audience.
Ruth co-founded Sephira The Irish Rock Violinists and Sephira School of Music. During the pandemic, she was invited by the HSE to curate a virtual performance for nursing homes across Ireland. She also teaches pre-instrumental music to children under five and has worked with children with Down’s Syndrome, Autism, and Cerebral Palsy. Her approach is grounded in warmth, patience, and respect, guided by the belief that music can rekindle memory, confidence, and connection at every stage of life.
Website and Contact Details:
www.sephira.ie
HSE Performance: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1097046620676865
olearyruth@gmail.com
Available to Work In:
Kerry, Limerick, Cork (primarily within 30 minutes of Duagh, Co. Kerry)
Claire Hurley
Claire Hurley is a visual artist based in Limerick City. An interdisciplinary artist, she works across sculpture, textiles (fabric and stitch), drawing, and printmaking, often inspired by the natural landscape and environment and incorporating natural materials into her practice.
With over 20 years of experience as a community arts facilitator, Claire has collaborated with a wide range of groups and projects and is particularly interested in working with older adults. Holding a degree in archaeology, she brings a strong interest in heritage and storytelling, exploring how these themes can be expressed visually.
Claire has previously led intergenerational projects where young and old created work together, and she recently completed a project with Bandon Day Care Centre. While she has not yet worked in a nursing home setting, she is curious and enthusiastic about the opportunity to do so.
Relevant Skills:
Experience with community arts facilitation, working with those with chronic health conditions and special needs.
Website and Contact Details:
https://www.clairehurley.com/new-index-2
clairehurleydesigns@gmail.com
Available to Work In:
Limerick and bordering counties (Clare, Tipperary, Cork) within a 45-minute drive of Limerick City
Fionnuala Gallagher
Fionnuala Gallagher is a trained Red Nose Theatre Clown and Laughter Yoga Leader with several years of experience. Her practice is rooted in the belief that laughter and play connect people, build friendships, and offer significant health benefits, including boosting endorphins, reducing blood pressure, and preventing depression. Over the past three years, Fionnuala has been invited back repeatedly to facilitate laughter yoga sessions during Positive Ageing Week in County Galway, and she has worked with retired groups and introduced play in nursing homes, including St. John’s Community Hospital in Sligo.
Her work features her clown character, Begoñia, who enters spaces with curiosity and playfulness, engaging people through gesture and gentle interaction. These encounters often evolve into musical outbursts, songs, rhymes, exercises, games, and dance, creating an atmosphere of joy and spontaneity. Fionnuala’s approach fosters deeper connections among residents and staff, unlocking imagination and encouraging openness to creative pursuits.
She also envisions further development through collaboration, incorporating costume, props, music, art, and even parades. Working alongside a visual artist could add a drawing element, creating lasting memories and interactive experiences.
Contact Details
fouscarf@gmail.com
087 702 7833
Available to Work In:
East Galway, Sligo (regularly), and occasionally Dublin, Roscommon, Clare
