Creative Brain Week returns from 9th – 13th June

Creative Brain Week, a collaboration between the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College Dublin and Creative Aging International has rapidly achieved local and international significance with entertaining examinations of how brain science and creativity collide. 

Now in its fourth year, it takes place once again in Trinity College Dublin from June 9^th 2025 for a week and it will seed new ideas into society, culture and health with talks, exhibitions and workshops. Creative Brain Week started in Dublin in 2022 and there are now six Creative Brain Weeks across the globe, spanning Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America.

This year’s theme is ‘Activating Kindness’ where over the week scientists, psychiatrists, neurologists and psychologists from Ireland and around the world along and eminent academics and people with lived experience will explain the importance of kindness and where kindness interacts with creativity, health and healthcare. Most in person events take place in the Naughton Institute at Trinity College, events are free but due to space limitation all in person events must be booked in advance for details on booking tickets www.creativebrainweek.com

Brian Lawlor, Founding Director of the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity said of Creative Brain Week, “In a world marked by uncertainty and conflict, Creative Brain Week 2025 invites us to pause and ask: What if we chose a different path — one of kindness? This year’s theme, ‘Activating Kindness,’ explores the brain science and psychological roots of kindness and how it is practiced in real-world contexts. It challenges us to discover how kindness can be cultivated and what we can learn from those already leading the way. It’s a vital opportunity to explore what happens when kindness creativity and brain science come together, and to understand the positive impact kindness has on our brains, health, and communities.”

Dominic Campbell co-founder of Creative Aging International and co-producer of Creative Brain Week said, “Ireland is one of the countries that is leading the conversation around brain health and this week provides a forum for and around this important topic. I think we can all agree that the world would be infinitely better if there was more kindness in it and we are hoping that this week shines a light on the power of kindness to heal and its value to health and society. It is not a weakness to show kindness, it’s been proven to be a sign of strength.”

On the first day of the conference, the Pratchett Prize – named in honour of award-winning author Terry Pratchett, whose life’s work was donated to Trinity College – will be awarded to a very worthy recipient in recognition of their contribution to reducing the impact and stigma of Alzheimer’s Disease, joining last year’s inaugural joint winners, Irish actor Bryan Murray and Deirdre Kinahan.

Sessions during Creative Brain Week will include compelling talks such as “The value of activating kindness” on June 10th featuring Niamh Flynn and Cliona Murray of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, University of Galway who will present findings from empathy research with young people and Gillian Sandstrom of the Centre for Kindness Research Sussex University on illuminating the nature of kindness and its impacts on people and communities.

On Wednesday 10th artists and people  living with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) will gather to share experience around the creation of a mandala, led by Rachel Fitzpatrick. Members of the public who have experience of ABI are invited to engage with this particular exhibition. More information can be found HERE.

For a full schedule of Creative Brain Week log onto www.creativebrainweek.com