Pediatrics
Newly diagnosed patients and those staying in a hospital, often experience a reduced sense of self-worth, isolation, feelings of disconnectedness with their community.
When the patient is a child, they are also missing the important schedule of school, their friendships, and the routine of their daily life. 
They find themselves in a structured and sterilized environment in which they have little opportunity for decision making.
In the CTV video below the young patient Joseph explains what it can be like for children in a hospital: “it makes me feel angry and frustrated and grumpy…”
Engaging these hospitalized children in a hands-on arts activity, run by professional artists, can assist them in remembering these vital elements in their lives.
The Story Tree: A Healing Arts Project Crann Lán De Scéalta
Newly diagnosed patients and those staying in a hospital, often experience a reduced sense of self-worth, isolation, feelings of disconnectedness with their community and difficulty in adjusting to the normalcy of everyday life. In addition, children are missing the routine of school and the intellectual challenge it brings. This project aims to assist the patients in re-establishing these vital elements in their lives.
Puppetry and Weight Management
In May 2004, development began on a collaborative project that would assist children with difficult issues they experience when attending an out-patient clinic within an acute hospital. Tallaght Community Arts Centre (TCAC), puppeteer Helene Hugel, and Sarah Dobbs in the Arts Office met. Through research and discussions the initial concept of conducting puppetry play sessions within the general pediatric outpatient waiting area, expanded into a limited patient focus group.
