Minister pays tribute to local project helping with recovery

MINISTER for Health, Leo Varadkar, paid a visit to Coolmine Therapeutic Community last week to help launch an innovative creative project that’s helping clients recover from addictions.

The Typecast project was initiated and led by Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts, in partnership with the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI) and Coolmine Therapeutic Community. It’s funded by Léargas through the Grundtvig Programme.

Coolmine clients involved with the project worked on a series of sculptures over a 12 week period under the guidance of a talented ceramic artist who provided advice and assistance on design, working with clay, artwork and concepts.

Minister Varadkar congratulated the clients on their achievements and said the innovative collaboration between various agencies had not only identified the creativity of the clients, but it had also made a valuable contribution to their recovery.

“By complementing the excellent therapy provided by Coolmine Therapeutic Community, Create and the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland have given these clients a tangible opportunity to identify their talents in a workplace environment, away from addiction and its consequence

? he said.

“I hope other agencies will emulate this collaborative approach in the delivery of their services.

?

The project is based on the

‘Typecast’ approach, which was instigated by Portraits of Recovery in partnership with the British Ceramic Biennial as a pilot project in 2012.

It centres on the use of clay as a medium, material and process, offering an opportunity for artists to work collaboratively with a community in recovery to explore ideas that may stem from the groups’ experience.

“The clients put their trust in me and in the art process, even when I challenged them to move beyond their comfort zone,

? said ceramic artist Kathleen Moroney who guided the project.

“Through repetition and time, and the simple act of churning out clay cars, we created a space of trust, where complex personal narratives eventually unravelled and were translated into ceramic compositions rich in metaphor.

?

Pauline McKeown, CEO of Coolmine Therapeutic Community, said that recovering communities tend to be invisible but Typecast helped to take down barriers.

“By making recovery

‘visible’ through this project via access to cultural opportunity, it provides a voice, control over identity and representation. It also helps overcome psychological access barriers to inclusivity and can de-construct stigma,

? she said.

“We believe that this project has made a valuable contribution in helping to return to a drug-free life.

?