Autumn 2024 Creative Brainwaves Talks & Workshops on the Creative Arts Improving Brain Health

Tues 1 October

Amplifying Voices and Memories Through Music and Storytelling in Care Homes with Gráinne Hope, David Hope and Brian Lawlor
Grainne Hope is a professional cellist, founder and Artistic Director of Music & Health Ireland, designing and managing music programmes in healthcare. She is also an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health (GBHI) and Chair with the Arts and Health Coordinators Ireland (www.musicandhealthireland.ie). 
David Hope is a professional musician, songwriter, recording artist, music educator, Music & Health practitioner. He has released five studio albums and has ten years’ experience as a music and health practitioner, leading various projects with people of all ages. Fiona Mc Auley is Activity Coordinator in the Hollybrook Lodge Residential Care Unit, Dublin.
Brian Lawlor MD, FRCPI,FRCPychMRIA is a professor of old age psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, and Site Director of GBHI at Trinity. He is a geriatric psychiatrist with an interest in dementia, late-life depression, loneliness and brain health. Brian has worked for over 30 years on developing services and delivering care to people with dementia.

Thurs 3 October

Dance and Creative Writing for Wellbeing with Laura Sarah Dowdall, Veronica Casey and Mike Hanrahan
Laura Sarah Dowdall is an international facilitator and speaker on creative health, wellness and inclusion, working as a somatic movement expert, holistic practitioner and professional dancer choreographer specialising in inclusive dance for people with vision-loss and collaborates with organisations and communities to support positive action and awareness of access, inclusion, environmental, creative and wellness needs(www.healingyoga.ie). 
Veronica Casey (BAPhil, DipComm, DipECE) is a poet and short story writer who works with adults to develop their reading and writing skills, and teaches creative writing to both children and adults. With a combined passion for education and health, Veronica also works in the community, developing and running projects to promote wellbeing through health, education, and physical activity. 
Mike Hanrahan is a writer, musician and Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health . Mike presented the hit television series Songs of Ireland with Pat Shortt and also performs with Irish Folk star Eleanor Shanley. 
 

Tues 8 October

Innovative arts in acquired brain injury with Alanna O’Connor, Liam Lynch, Gráinne McGettrick and Kathleen Brennan

Alanna O’Connor is a Speech and Language Therapist working in the newly developed CreATe Assistive Technology Service operated by Acquired Brain Injury Ireland, providing assistive technology supports to people with brain injury to gain independence and support their inclusion.  Alanna has been “techy” since childhood and is passionate about supporting people with brain injuries to use technology to access the arts. 
Liam Lynch has worked in the Irish Defence Forces, adult education and as a transmission engineer. In 2017 he was involved in a road traffic accident which left him with an Acquired Brain Injury. As part of his involvement with ABI Ireland, Liam had the opportunity to try out art classes and has been hooked ever since. 
Gráinne McGettrick is the Director of Policy and Research with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland and a Global Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health, Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin.  Her work is focused on addressing health inequalities and championing the human rights of those facing exclusion due to disability and ageing. 
Kathleen Brennan is recently retired from working with Acquired Brain Injury Ireland where her role was to actively support families affected by brain injury. Whilst working with the organisation one of her projects focused on creating a better understanding of brain injury by younger children through storytelling to encourage exploration and awareness of common themes following brain injury, such as feelings of loss, isolation and particularly fatigue.