Today, 7 April 2025, we celebrate World Health Day! The theme this year is “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” and it launches a year-long campaign focused on maternal and newborn health, urging countries to end preventable deaths and prioritise women's long-term well-being.
The topic of women’s long-term wellbeing provides a great opportunity to highlight the UCD Research Ireland funded project ‘‘Cut From the Same Cloth’’, which has a physical exhibition commencing this month.
About the project
An art and health research community initiative
During ten Get Togethers in 2024, researchers from UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research met with women from minority communities across Ireland to facilitate the building of lasting relationships for future integration of minority voices in UCD Conway’s Patient Voice in Health Research Initiative.
Community Partners
Through this project, the team were delighted to meet a community from Portlaoise at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland, members of the Muslim Sisters of Éire in the Hunt Museum, Limerick and in Cáirde, Balbriggan; the Venezuelan community at the National Museum at Collins Barracks; members of Ukrainian and African communities at St Canice’s Community Centre in Kilkenny; members of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri communities at An Táin Arts Centre in Dundalk; women from Roscommon Women’s Network, the Irish Traveller community and local women in Roscommon Arts Centre; women from Kippure Reception Centre at UCD Ardmore House; women from Balseskin Reception Centre at Museum of Literature Ireland and young women from Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School, in UCD Conway Institute.
Get Together Events
Standing on common ground, the role of fabric and cloth in our lives was the focus of stories exchanged at these Get Togethers. Researchers had the honour of hearing inspiring stories from all the amazing women they met across Ireland.
The women who came along to share their stories saw the patterns and colours of biomedical research printed on fabric and heard stories about current research into diseases areas such as ovarian, prostate and breast cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, nutrition in pregnancy, bacterial vaccines, motor neuron disease, skin burn wounds, rare respiratory diseases and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers also shared stories about personal pieces of fabric.
Building the Exhibition
An exhibition, Cut From The Same Cloth, comprises a tapestry; research patterns printed on fabric; photographs by Anthony Hobbs of 40 pieces of fabric held in the hands of their owners; and short videos by Crannog Media offering a window into the lives of 36 women who now call Ireland home.
This project with artist Lorna Donlon and 25 researchers has enabled the team to build trust and connections with 164 women from communities nationwide.
It has allowed the team to talk about health research to new communities in a very different way. The team hopes to build on this to ensure diverse voices are included in research conversations in the future.
Find out more about the project and see the digital exhibition here: Cut From the Same Cloth.
On Friday 4 April, RTE One Nationwide aired a story involving ‘‘Cut from the Same Cloth.’’ Programme details are: https://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/nationwide/2018/0218/910039-nationwide/.
The physical exhibition will open shortly in The Hunt Museum, Limerick and the official launch takes place on 24 April with guest speaker, Lynn Scarff, Director, National Museum of Ireland.
Register via The Hunt Museum or check out the exhibition when it comes to the Pearse Museum, Rathfarnham, Dublin during July-Sept.
Congratulations to all those involved.