The arts are powerful way to connect diverse audiences with research. Associate Professor Siobhan O’Dwyer and her colleagues work closely with artists and playwrights to help policy makers, practitioners, and the wider community engage with research findings on an emotional and physical level.

More Than A Parent

More Than A Parent is a short film by award-winning filmmaker Bhulla Beghal. It was inspired by Siobhan’s research on suicide and homicide risk in parent carers. It was commissioned by the University of Birmingham and is inspired by the real stories of parent carers in crisis.

Until Tomorrow

Until Tomorrow is a work-in-progress by playwright Brenda Callis. It was inspired by Siobhan’s research on suicide and homicide risk in parent carers and a script-in-hand performance was conducted at the Exeter Phoenix in 2023. The photos below are courtesy of Steven Haywood Photography. Initial development of the script was funded by an ESRC Impact Accelerator Award, with additional financial and in-kind support from Arts & Culture Exeter and the University of Exeter Medical School.

Spotlight on Care

Spotlight on Care is a large-scale light installation by artist Leo Jamelli. It was inspired by Siobhan’s research on UK carers’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and funded by Arts Council England. The installation appeared on the Peckham Library in London and the Exeter Phoenix. It was shortlisted for the Derwent Art Prize in 2022 and went on to be exhibited at galleries in London and Paris. You can find out more about how the installations were created and meet the carers who inspired them here.

Invisible Carer

Invisible Carer is a large-scale light installation by artist Leo Jamelli. It was inspired by a collaboration between Siobhan and Dr Catriona McKenzie, exploring the evidence of care in the archaeological record, and projected onto the St Catherine’s Almshouse in Exeter in 2019. Invisible Carer was funded by Arts & Culture Exeter and you can read more about it on their website.

Yielding

Yielding was created by playwright Emma Workman and is part of the series Let’s Speak of the Unspoken. It was informed partly by Siobhan’s research on suicide and homicide risk in people caring for family members with dementia and developed in partnership with Carers Queensland. Yielding was shortlisted for Best New Australian Work in 2019. It has been performed in Brisbane and Sydney, and the script is available at Australian Plays. Image courtesy of Blue Curtains Brisbane.