Clowndoctors take their laughs online to NI hospital wards

And it’s not just clowndoctors who are continuing their cheery work, Arts Care, a health and wellbeing charity, which delivers a wide range of arts activities for patients and staff across hospitals, healthcare facilities, residential, nursing and hospice care, has taken its workshops online with the launch of the Arts Care 4U Arts & Well-being channel.

Arts Care established the channel in response to the coronavirus pandemic, enabling it to continue bringing its arts, music and exercise classes to those who are alone or isolated.

Dr Jenny Elliot, ceo and artistic director, Arts Care, said: ‘‘In any one day you can find artists and clowndoctors on wards, units and community settings using their creative skills to support the mental health and well-being of vulnerable and sick children, young people and adults as well as making clinical environments more welcoming through their art work.

‘‘The children and young people in hospital and respite units love the clowndoctor weekly visits to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Ulster Hospital, Dundonald and Altnagelvin Hospital, as well as the visits to respite units for children with complex needs.

‘‘The skilled clowndoctors work their magic with imagination, fun and play to reduce levels of stress and anxiety not only in the children but also in the families and staff.’’

Dr Elliot said that for the first time in 30 years, artists and clowndoctors have had to withdraw their services because of the COVID-19 virus.

‘‘All the Arts Care artists and clowndoctors have been recording their workshops at home on their phones and then they are uploaded on to the new channel for service users and healthcare staff to access and take part in.’’

Dr Elliott said the feedback to the channel, which is just a week old, has been great.

‘‘Service users we work with and some staff are tuning in to take part in the art workshops, sing-a-long sessions and dance and movement Keep Fit sessions.

‘‘What is important is that during this time we strive in whatever way we can to continue to bring the arts service to those most in need either in hospital, at home or in residential care. Many of our regular services users are alone and isolated and these online workshops are one way of reaching out to some of them.”

*The Arts Care 4U Channel offers a wide variety of fun art workshops for adults and children to join in over Easter.

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