The 'Art of Life' project: stakeholder engagement report

The Art of Life is a Shared Island project that uses creative approaches to normalize conversations around death and dying. Delivered in partnership with organisations across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the project empowers socially engaged artists to facilitate advance care planning and end-of-life discussions through visual expression and reflective practice.

This report presents the first stage of a Social Return on Investment (SROI) evaluation, focusing on stakeholder engagement to guide project design and identify expected wellbeing outcomes. Focus group discussions were conducted with creatives, community partners, and workshop participants. Emerging themes include activities delivered through the workshops, stakeholders’ expectations and desired outcomes, wellbeing outcomes, personal growth and professional value, and challenges and lessons learned from the Art of Life workshops.

A Theory of Change model was developed to inform the full SROI evaluation, highlighting the project's potential to generate meaningful social and economic value through arts-based dialogue around death and dying. By exploring the unique strengths of socially engaged artists and fostering connections within communities, the project creates a safe space for participants to explore their emotions and build confidence and resilience around end-of-life conversation.