(November 28th 2019) Tallaght University Hospital are proud to confirm The Sky’s the Limit (TSTL) collaborative arts and health project has been installed and is ready for all to enjoy! To give an idea of what patients, staff and visitors can expect to see, take a moment to imagine…
Walking into TUH to the sight of colourful hot air balloons. Floating… upwards… towards the sky. A unique image that creates a sense of peace, joy and calm while capturing the imagination.
This vision has been created by the beautiful Sky’s the Limit balloons installed above the Volunteer Coffee Shop in the Hospital atrium, a public space where many patients and staff go to sit and enjoy a friendly chat and cuppa, now people can experience the wonderful view above the space too.
The TSTL project began by inviting TUH Patients, Staff and members of the Tallaght Community to get involved in a colouring competition to create bright, bold and beautiful hot air balloon designs. There was an enormous response with an overwhelming 290+ designs reflecting an incredible level of creativity. In the end the judges’ selected 39 winning designs to be recreated onto the 3D Balloons.
The winning designs were announced on Culture Night 2018 along with series of dates for Community and Hospital based workshops for participants to engage in the balloon making process with professional artists under the guidance of lead Artist Lucia Barnes and the TUH Arts Team. Each balloon is handcrafted and hand-painted with an estimate of 600-700 participants involved in creating them.
The Sky’s The Limit project has been kindly funded by the Meath Foundation, supported by TUH, facilitated by lead Artist Lucia Barnes and the Arts Team, co-ordinated by Arts Officer, Alison Baker Kerrigan through the National Centre for Arts and Health (NCAH) and partnered by local organisations including RUA RED Arts Centre.
There are 35 individual balloons displaying, 39 designs. (Four of the balloons show two designs). The Balloons were made from papier mache and PVA glue, wire mesh, acrylic paint and a fire retardant coating.
You can read more about the balloons and those involved in their creation via this link.
