17 Sept 2015 - Infusing Life with Meaning

Infusing Life with Meaning: 17 Sept 2015

Infusing Life with Meaning, Jennings Gallery, UCC

UCC Occupational Therapy student exhibition of prints and textiles

Thursday 17th September saw the Jennings Gallery launch its latest exhibition entitled ‘Interest – Infusing Life with Meaning.’

According to Dr. Gary Kielhofner, ‘Interests are what one finds enjoyable or satisfying to do. Interests reveal themselves both as the enjoyment of doing something and as a preference for doing certain things over others. Interests can infuse life with meaning and energy. The process of finding pleasure and satisfaction in doing things is a central component of adapting in occupational life. Interest gives life much of its appeal’. This exhibition presents how first year Occupational Therapy students at UCC reflected on and responded to this statement.

The print and textiles exhibition, jointly organised by UCC’s Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, and the Jennings Gallery, is the culmination of six weeks of work by students within the department. Working in tandem with the team at Cork Printmakers and Frances Leach of Cork Textiles Network, the students were encouraged to use Pinterest to explore their personal interests before choosing on a final image to create in their sessions.

Dr Eithne Hunt, College Lecturer / Programme Leader – BSc. (Hons) Occupational Therapy, states that “The first year of the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy course, above all else, is focused on occupation and health. These foundations encourage students to learn more about themselves as an occupational being, and extend that understanding to their family, friends and the people with whom they will work in the future. Our department inculcates a creative spirit within its students because it believes Occupational Therapy is a creative occupation, and that that creativity impacts on their health and wellbeing. This year’s exhibition by our class of 2014/2015 fully captures that spirit and our students’ are to be commended for it.”

This year’s exhibition will be opened by John Hennessy. John is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor from Ardmore living in Midleton and is married with 3 children. In 2011, John received a blow to the head in a hurling match and suffered Concussion resulting in a Traumatic Brain Injury. This left him at the time totally paralysed on the right side of his body and unable to speak. John will share his experiences of how his interests were incorporated into his occupational therapy treatment to promote his recovery.

The exhibition will continue until after World Occupational Therapy Day on Tuesday 27th October 2015.

For further press queries, photos from the conference and all other queries please contact Gregory Higgins, Marketing and Communications Assistant College of Medicine and Health UCC

Gregory Higgins
Email: gregory.higgins@ucc.ie
Tel: 021 4901573

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