Arts Care

14/10/2026

FINAL REMINDER!

We are celebrating our 35th Anniversary this Friday with a completely free and very special performance of the Irish Doctor's Orchestra, featuring the Smyth Brothers!

There will be additional performances from the Arts Care Quartet and United in Motion Dance Troupe.

📅 16th October
🕐 7pm - 9pm

Please RSVP to Niamh at [email protected] if you'd like to attend.

See below for a sneakpeak of what Friday has in store!

07/10/2026

Come find us at to have a go at making a ten minute collage at our art station!

Arts Care will be at NICON both today and tomorrow. We look forward to seeing you there!

23/09/2026

Musician and Storyteller Anne Harper and Textile Artist Caroline Shimmons worked collaboratively with service users in the Orchard Centre in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to design their very own Crankie Theatre.

Anne and Caroline then gave residents a performance of the Crankie Theatre, accompanied by beautiful music and entertaining stories.

A Crankie Theatre is a simple, handmade storytelling theatre where a long illustrated paper scroll is slowly rolled through a small wooden frame while a story is performed.

At Arts Care, Crankie Theatres are used widely with service users, who can design and create their own, as well as enjoy performances from our staff and artists using our own Crankie Theatres.

Watch the video below to see their Crankie Theatre in action!

08/09/2026

Visual Artist Eddie Rafferty, based within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, recently worked with service users from the Island Day Centre to create a wonderful collaborative piece of art titled 'City with River Running Through It'.

The cityscape is acrylic on card, and was created by planning, adding pencilwork and paint, then finishing with a collage.

21/08/2026

Here’s a look back at our wonderful 2026 Here and Now Festival Showcase back in April.

As usual we were completely blown away by the talent of everyone who participated. With the theme ‘Transformations’, everyone delivered with a massive range of wonderful mediums, including dance, sculpture, creative writing, textiles, and even a fashion show!

But the Here and Now Festival is about so much more than the incredible work on display. It’s about creating a space where people can express themselves, share their stories and celebrate each other. Every performance, artwork, and creative contribution represented the imagination, courage and individuality of the people who took part.

The Here and Now Festival is supported by the Public Health Agency (PHA) with the focus of addressing health inequalities among older people experiencing social isolation and loneliness.

The Here and Now festival remains to be one of our most important flagship events, with every year leaving a long-lasting impact on everyone who attends. We’re incredibly proud to look back on everything that was achieved in 2026, and we can’t wait to see where next year takes us!

Videography by the wonderful Penny McGovern

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

19/08/2026

Arts Care is proud to be partnering with CHOICE - A Project from the Bamford Centre , a social prescribing project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) supporting adults living with severe mental illness to connect with community activities, services and support across Northern Ireland.

CHOICE continues to offer a valuable opportunity for the people we support to reduce isolation, build confidence, and become more connected to their local communities.

Participants receive one-to-one support from a Community Navigator, who helps them find and access activities that are meaningful to them, alongside practical support to get started.

You can email [email protected] or phone 02895367768 if you have any further queries.

Clients/service users can refer themselves, or staff, carers and family members can make a referral on their behalf.

Referral link: https://www.choiceni.org/take-part

17/08/2026

Did you know we have three public galleries located within hospitals across Belfast?

You can visit the Tower Gallery at Belfast City Hospital, our gallery at the Ulster Hosital, and our gallery at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

Each hospital hosts a range of rotating exhibitions featuring a wide range of artwork, open for everyone to enjoy.

Whether you’re a patient, visiting a loved one, work in the hospital or simply passing through, you’re always welcome to stop and take a look!

07/08/2026

On Monday we kicked off our Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann celebrations by bringing the festival to Brae Valley Residential Home 🪉

Staff and service users enjoyed a special performance of our Crankie Theatre with music from Arts Care artist Brendan Popplestone and CEO Barry McCauley, followed by a lively trad performance from Barry and Brendan.

A wonderful way to get our Fleadh celebrations underway! Keep your eyes peeled as we share more highlights!

06/08/2026

05/08/2026