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Ministers O’Gorman and Rabbitte launch Personal Creativity Competition for disability service users and unveil painting by artists from the Daughters of Charity Disability Support Service in Dublin
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, and Minister of State for Disabilities, Anne Rabbitte TD, today launched a ‘Personal Creativity Competition’ for adults with disabilities. As part of the supports provided to adults with disabilities through the health and personal social service, people with disabilities are offered the opportunity to explore and discover their own creativity and find their preferred means of self-expression. This competition will showcase the very many examples of personal creativity and expression amongst adults with disabilities.
Adults who are supported by disability services are invited to submit the outcome from their exploration into personal expression and creativity. This may be a painting, piece of sculptor, a piece of poetry, a written story, a woven/knitted/sewed garment or object, or a video clip showing exploration into dance, music or drama. Three entries will be selected from each Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) to go forward for final consideration at National level. Minister Rabbitte will announce the top exhibits at a reception at the Department next year, when prizes will be presented to the top three exhibits. Full details of the competition will be circulated to all adult disability service providers when day services resume later this year.
The Ministers also today unveiled a piece of artwork in Miesian Plaza which was created by 9 service users of the Daughters of Charity Services in Dublin. The painting, which is a likeness of Frederic William Burton’s ‘Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret Stairs’ (1864), will hang in the lobby of the Block 1 Miesian Plaza, the headquarters of the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for the coming year.
Speaking at today’s launch, Minister Rabbitte said: “Supporting expression and creativity for adults with disabilities is so important and providing them with opportunities to explore their talents and abilities must be at the core of person-centred services. I am delighted to launch this ‘Personal Creativity Competition” for adults with disabilities, to showcase their work and I look forward to seeing all the competition entries next year”.