Seven Summer Stars: A Showcase of Artwork by Young People with Cystic Fibrosis

Seven Summer Stars will give a unique insight into artwork created by young people with cystic fibrosis who connected online and creatively mapped the connections they share through this pilot project from Helium.

Event Information:

Date: Wednesday 29th May, 2019

Location: Waterford Healing Arts Trust, University Hospital Waterford, Dunmore Road,  Waterford

Time: 6 PM

RSVP Emma at Helium Arts communications@helium.ie

At the showcase there will be an opportunity to learn about how the young artists engaged with the project and how the online technology supported the creative process in conversation with Rachel Tynan (project artist), Shane Regan (educational technologist, An Cosán VCC) and Emma Eager (project manager, Helium Arts). This will happen over tea and cake in the comfy surroundings of the WHAT conservatory.

About the Project:

Teenagers with cystic fibrosis face barriers when it comes to connecting and conversing with each other: due to cross-infection issues, they cannot be in the same physical space. Helium’s online art project has brought together young people living with cystic fibrosis to collaborate with artist Rachel Tynan and their peers through an art journaling process. Using digital tools and online mediated meet-ups along with access to professional artist mentorship, participants have benefitted from the development of collaborative arts practice with a community of peers and the exploration of personal stories. The project also included a virtual gallery experience connected to the Irish Museum of Modern Art’s “Freud Gaze” exhibition. Together, the group came up with the name Seven Summer Stars.

Seven Summer Stars is produced by Helium Arts in partnership with Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and Waterford Healing Arts Trust. The project is supported by the Arts Council, the Ireland Funds, Dublin City Council, and the Health Services Staffs Credit Union.