About Us

Founded in 1991, Arts Care is a pioneering arts, health, and wellbeing charity that transforms healthcare environments across Northern Ireland.

Empowering Wellbeing through the Arts in Northern Ireland

Our mission is simple yet powerful: to improve personal health and well-being through creative arts experiences, accessible to all.

Whether you’re a service user, healthcare professional, or part of a community, we invite you to explore the positive effects of art in settings ranging from hospitals and day care centres to community hubs and corporate environments.

Our Programmes

Arts Care operates three main programmes, each offering unique ways to engage and support well-being through the arts:

Artists In Residence

Our Artists-in-Residence Programme delivers innovative arts projects across 24 healthcare sites in Northern Ireland, building lasting connections with service users and staff in settings like mental health, cancer care, community services, and training for healthcare professionals.

The Clown Doctors

Arts Care's Clown Doctors—Dr. Muddle, Dr. Clooless, Dr. Fizz, Dr. Dapper, and Dr. Twinkle—bring joy and connection through interactive play, clowning, and workshops in hospitals, community settings, and workplaces, offering everything from bedside visits to corporate team-building and empathy training for healthcare professionals.

Arts Care Projects

Our projects reach beyond healthcare environments to include community and social care settings. Highlights include: Here & Now Older People’s Arts and Wellbeing Festival. The Twilight Zone Project for young people in care facilities. Funded by grants or directly accessible for purchase, these projects provide dynamic arts experiences for all.

Our Services

Across both programmes, we offer a range of services designed to inspire creativity, improve mental health, and foster wellbeing:

Artist-Led Workshops

Tailored, creative workshops led by professional artists, encouraging personal or collaborative artwork creation.

The Clown Doctors

Engaging children through interactive play, clowning, and circus skills, building confidence, empathy, and mental well-being. (Coming soon: Skylarks for older people).

Environmental Transformations

Transforming indoor and outdoor spaces with collaborative visual art and murals, fostering a positive and welcoming atmosphere.

Staff Well-being Services

Facilitated Away Days for teams, enhancing communication, collaboration, and mental health.

Our Reach

We bring creative arts into a broad range of services and settings, including:

Healthcare

Hospitals, mental health, cancer care, hospice services, and more.

Community Services

Councils, community centres, and local hubs.

Corporate Services

Team-building and staff well-being initiatives.

Join Us in Transforming Wellbeing through the Arts

At Arts Care, we believe in the healing power of creativity.

Through innovative arts programmes and projects, we’re building a more connected, inspired, and well-supported community across Northern Ireland.

Our Creative Space

Since February 2020, our Arts Care Centre has provided a dedicated space for creative engagement, offering facilities for service users, healthcare staff, carers, and artists.