Originally from County Tyrone and based in Derry for over 25 years, Brónagh Corr McNicholl is a multidisciplinary visual artist and creative facilitator with over 30 years of experience working across the arts, health, education and community sectors.
Working predominantly with photography, her creative practice embraces painting, drawing, collage, film, mixed media and creative writing. Her work is inspired by people, nature, memory and a sense of place, often focusing on the small, overlooked details and everyday moments that connect us to ourselves and the world around us.
Central to her approach is the belief that everyone has the capacity to be creative, regardless of age, ability or experience. She values the relationships that develop through making art together and believes that the creative process itself can be as meaningful as the finished artwork. Her workshops are responsive to the needs, interests and abilities of participants, encouraging individual expression, confidence, connection and a sense of achievement.
Nature has always played an important role in Brónagh’s practice. Whether through botanical painting, photography, walking, collecting natural materials or simply taking time to observe the changing world around us, she encourages participants to slow down, notice small details and reconnect with their surroundings. She is particularly interested in how these simple creative encounters can offer moments of calm, reflection, enjoyment and wellbeing.
Throughout her career, Brónagh has also worked in arts programming, curation and cultural development, collaborating with artists, community organisations, schools and statutory bodies to make creative opportunities more accessible.
At the heart of her Arts Care practice is a simple belief that creativity is an essential part of being human. Art offers us opportunities to connect, communicate, discover new possibilities and find enjoyment in the present moment. Sometimes the most meaningful outcomes are not the artworks we produce, but the conversations, shared experiences, confidence and connections that emerge along the way.
For over two decades, Brónagh has worked extensively in arts and health, including as an Artist in Residence with Arts Care throughout the Western Health and Social Care Trust. She has facilitated creative projects with patients, residents, service users, families and healthcare staff across a wide range of settings, including cancer care, dementia services, mental health, children’s services and community healthcare environments.
Her experience includes working with older people, individuals living with dementia, people experiencing mental health challenges, children and young people in care, LGBTQIA+ communities, men’s groups and women affected by Mother and Baby Institutions. Her participatory practice has taken her throughout Ireland, North and South, and internationally as a visiting artist in Kenya, Madagascar and Russia.
Alongside her work in arts and health, Brónagh has developed collaborative photographic projects exploring identity, belonging and personal storytelling. Her recent practice-based research with young people in Derry explored changing masculinities, representation and the relationship between identity and place, culminating in photographic exhibitions in Derry and Belfast. This work has further strengthened her commitment to creating inclusive spaces where participants have agency over how their experiences and stories are represented.
