Home | That's Life

Who we are

That’s Life is an award-winning arts and personal development programme of the

Brothers of Charity Services, Galway.

People with intellectual disability have opportunities to discover and realise their creative potential, working with established artists,

and participating in a wide range of high quality arts programs.

That’s Life art makers create beautiful work that contributes to the cultural and artistic life of their community.

Events in 2024

It's another busy year for the That's Life team,

with a full programme of events and workshops

Beyond Traditional : Galway

That's Life is thrilled to announce the opening of 'Beyond Traditional - Galway',

an exhibition of artwork by That's Life Art Makers:

Amy Clarke, Colm Biggins, Nathan Murray, Leah Connolly, Therese Carter and Ciaran Forrest,

in collaboration with artist and ATU MA student,

Jed Jadranko Gjerek

Tuesday 8th October 11.30am.

School of Creative Arts and Media,

ATU Galway, Wellpark Road, Galway City.

Tea and coffee provided.

'Beyond Traditional – Galway' is a visual journey which breaks away from the confines of traditional materials and techniques to create a shared vision of a city with a deep sense of community and creativity.

Project coordinator: That's Life Art Facilitator, Peter Casby.

This exhibition is the result of the ongoing partnership between

That's Life Galway and the Radius Project at ATU Galway, School of Creative Arts and Media

The work will be on display from Tuesday 8th Oct to Thursday 17th Oct, 2024

Project Highlights:2023

As we begin the first few weeks of autumn workshops, here's a beautifully crafted retrospective video,

Project Highlights 2023: In Collaboration with Galway and Roscommon Education Training Board,

courtesy of our in-house videographer AMWVisual.

We are eternally grateful for the continuing support of Galway and Roscommon Educational Training Board, and the artistic facilitators funded through the organisation.

Featuring:

Award-warding visual artist, Taim Haimet - 'In Your Hands'.

Vituoso musician, Alain Halimi - 'Foley and Music Scoring'.

Actor, musician and dramatist, Miquel Barceló - 'Mask Performance Project'.

And the wonderfully talented Art Facilitator, Áine Lawless - 'Diorama Project'.

On behalf of our ever dynamic creative team: Andrew, Imelda, and Peter, a heartfelt thanks for all your hard work. We look forward to collaborating again in the future.

Full Circle

Tickets are now on sale for ‘Full Circle’, a collaboration between Galway Music Residency and That's Life music programme. This mesmorising musical event takes place on Tuesday 16 July, 6 pm at St. Nicholas Church, and is part of the 2024 Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF) Programme.

Performed by the ConTempo Quartet, musician-composer Bianca Gannon, and In Flow, the That’s Life Gamelan ensemble, ‘Full Circle’ takes you on a captivating musical journey with a collective of classical musicians, accompanied by percussion from our talented adults with Intellectual Difficulties (ID). Exploring the themes of home and beyond through intricate cyclical structures, the performance is a meditative yet dynamic blend of string quartet, piano and Indonesian gamelan.

Hello everyone! We are very excited to announce Club Tropicana on June 27th. Join us for an unforgettable evening of music, dance, and creativity at Club Tropicana, a one-of-a-kind event proudly hosted by That’s Life. Designed for adults with intellectual disabilities, Club Tropicana offers a welcoming and inclusive space to enjoy live music and dancing. Get ready to groove to the infectious beats of The Lewd Tunes, a dynamic seven-piece band, and keep the energy high with the electrifying mixes from the Bounce DJ crew. Our vibrant sea-themed atmosphere will come alive with stunning artworks and props, crafted by adults with intellectual disability in collaboration with local artists. Don't miss out on what promises to be the highlight event of the summer!

Time: 7pm-10.30pm

Venue: Black Box, Galway

Price: €12/Support Staff Free

'Mr. President'

Join us for a classic musical tale of ordinary people standing up against a corrupt and oppressive president! This new musical features performances and visual projections by adults with ID from the That’s Life arts programme, accompanied by musicians of Limerick’s ‘Ceol na Mara Youth Orchestra’ and renowned opera singer Catherine Donnelly. This unique, wonderful opera, has been created through a truly collaborative and inclusive process, bringing together musical ensembles from diverse backgrounds. With all original music composed and performed by WhistleBlast Quartet, participants from That's Life music programme, band Electric Dreams and the Gamelan Ensemble. This show promises to be a most engaging and accessible experience, suitable for all!

Friday 21st June 2024

Time: 7 pm

Duration: 60 minutes

Venue: Town Hall Theatre, Galway

Bedtime Adventures

Dream collaboration between Helium Arts and That's Life

We are delighted to announce a collaboration with national arts and health charity, Helium Arts, to create an inclusive, interactive and multi-sensory installation. This enchanting dreamscape, featuring fluffy clouds, soft play areas, and musical elements, will transform the Studio@5 venue in Claregalway from March 8th to March 13th 2024. The show has been been designed for both children and adults with additional needs, supervised by their families and carers.

The interactive experience unfolds as audiences are invited to take off their shoes and embark on a bedtime adventure. Four beds magically transform into imaginative spaces, each beckoning guests into a world of sensory play. Experienced guides stationed throughout the installation are there to support and encourage the audience to explore at their own pace within these sensory realms.

Grab a torch and explore the night in our wonderful light zone, wander towards the sounds of an interactive, intergalactic, musical space-garden, if physical play is more your thing then hop onto the dream clouds and roll around; build your own cloud castle, create and draw on an interactive bedroom rug or lounge on the giant beanbags in the slumber castle where pillow fights and chaos reign!

Led by artist Director Joanna Williams, this ambitious inter-generational project focuses on play, engagement, and connection. It aims to create a magical world providing an immersive experience that sparks creativity and exploration. What sets this project apart is the active participation of adults with intellectual disabilities from That’s Life’s creative writing, visual arts, and music programs, enriching the installation with their artistic contributions.

Announcing the dates and locations of ‘Bedtime Adventures’, founder and artistic director of Helium Arts, Helene Hugel said: “It’s wonderful for two arts organisations to be encouraged to collaborate. By sharing our creative skills and complementary knowledge, we are able to create an ambitious visual and sensory experience that we hope will create a place for playful social connection for very young children and their families in Co. Galway and the surrounding region. Through the adults’ artistic contribution, the aim is to inspire families engaging in this event, and present an artistic creative future into adulthood.”

Andrew Madec, programme coordinator at That’s Life, Brothers of Charity Services, Galway, emphasized the inclusive nature of the installation, saying, “We’ve tried to create scenarios that encourage and promote engagement in a variety of ways and we hope to capture our audience’s imagination and interest through offering a rich selection of sensory experiences and an invitation to play! It has been beautiful to see how the project has been shaped and informed by the work of our creative writers and art makers with intellectual disabilities, and to see that all coming to fruition.”

Helium Arts is an award-winning children’s arts and health charity that aims to improve the personal, health and social outcomes of children and young people with lifelong physical health conditions by providing opportunities for creativity that they may not otherwise have access to. Through a series of arts-based workshops, they create safe and inclusive spaces that inspire creativity, spark friendships, and improve mental health and well-being.

'Bedtime Adventures’ transforms Studio@5 venue in Claregalway from March 8th to March 13th 2024. The installation will also visit Dance Limerick in Limerick for one day on 21st March and Mayfield Arts Centre in Cork for one day on 22nd March.

'Bedtime Adventures' has been commissioned as part of ART:2023, a Decade of Centenaries collaboration from the Arts Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.