On Saturday 26 September 2026, Helium brought together more than 40 young people aged 13–24 living with long-term health conditions at The Helix in Dublin for Let Them Make Art: The Creative Health Youth Forum – the first all-island Creative Health Youth Forum.
Young people travelled from across Ireland, including as far as Cork, Kerry and Galway while our partners at Cancer Fund for Children brought members from Belfast to take part. It was an opportunity for young people from different communities to meet others with shared experiences, explore their creativity and, most importantly, have their voices heard.
The day brought together creativity, connection and important conversations about making the arts more accessible, with young people sharing their experiences and ideas for a more inclusive future.
A day to connect, create and be heard
Disability activist and columnist Joanne O’Riordan shared an inspiring message about the power of finding your voice. She spoke about how creativity – whether through art, writing, music or film – can help people tell their own stories, challenge assumptions and express who they are beyond their health condition.
Her message was particularly relevant to the day: everyone has a voice, and creativity can be a powerful way to make it heard.
Then it was time to get creative. Participants chose from workshops including fabric painting with Irish artist and designer Helen Steele, zine-making and junk print-making with Helium artists and our youth advisory group (YAG) alumni.
Alongside making art, young people had space to connect, exchange ideas and enjoy being with others who understand some of the challenges of living with a long-term health condition.
Turning ideas into action
The forum was about more than creativity. It was also an opportunity for young people to talk about the barriers they face when accessing the arts — and what could make a difference.
Ideas included creating an inclusive equivalent of the BT Young Scientist competition for the visual arts, giving young people another way to celebrate and share their creative work. They also discussed supports for students with additional needs during State exams, including whether an extra five minutes is enough to meet every student’s needs.
The group shared their ideas with Donna Cooney, Green Party Councillor for Clontarf; Helene Hugel, CEO of Helium; and Eunan McKinney, Public Health Advocacy Strategist.
Their contributions highlighted why young people need to be part of conversations and decisions about access and inclusion. They know from their own experiences where change is needed – and have ideas about how to make it happen.
Keeping the creativity going
The forum was also part of a wider exploration of access to the arts. Artwork created by young people through Helium workshops was showcased at The Bank in Dublin, sharing their creativity and perspectives on what it means to have access to the arts.
Thank you to all the young people who took part and shared their ideas, and to everyone who helped make the day possible, including Joanne O’Riordan, Helen Steele, our Helium artists and youth advisory group (YAG) alumni, and our partners at Cancer Fund for Children.
Let Them Make Art and its accompanying exhibition are supported by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland Shared Island Civic Society Fund, and co-funded by the European Union. Léargas.