The Garden of Solace | De Tuin van Soelaas: On co-creative art practices, care and moral ecologies

In this intermezzo, I invite you to follow me on a walk towards the becoming of the Garden of Solace, a recent co-creative art project in my hometown in the Netherlands. During this walk, I create brief side paths or stepping stones to address the issues identified in my PhD research on co-creative art practices in care settings. Imagine musicians co-creating music with patients and caregivers, artists portraying people with dementia in a nursing home, and patients who receive palliative care co-creating works of art with visual artists. These are a few examples of the initiatives part of Creating Cultures of Care , where my PhD project is embedded. Although co-creative practices in hospitals, nursing homes and medieval city gardens are not comparable in terms of care, I propose they have something in common. Co-creative artistic practices have the power to open people’s minds and hearts, (re)connect to feelings of loss and grief and nourish new and hopeful connections between people, materials and places. By meandering this way, I aim to share with you some perspectives on art, care and creating caring communities.