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 wellbeing 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 wellbeing through the arts:

Heath and Social Care Residency Programme

Our Residency Programme delivers innovative arts projects across different healthcare services 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. If you are part of a Health and Social Care Trust and would like to engage with Arts Care please get in touch.

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. 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:

Artists Programme

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

More About Artists Programme

Clown Doctors

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

More About Clown Doctors

Environmental Transformations

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

More About Environmental Transformations

Staff Wellbeing

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

More About Staff Wellbeing

Skylarks

Skylarks is our newest initiative to extend that magic to older adults in day care and residential settings, including those living with dementia.

More About Skylarks

Education & Training

Our Education and Training services offer practical, artist-led learning opportunities that empower healthcare professionals, medical students, and creatives to integrate the arts into their work.

More About Education & Training

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 wellbeing 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.