February 2011 Concert by Grammy Winning Vocalist Headlines Medicine and the Art Programme

A rare and unusual concert will take place on Wednesday, 2 March at 6pm in the Aula Maxima, NUI Galway as part of the module Medicine and the Arts featuring vocalist Susan Mc Keown (New York) and her band, Ryan Mc Giver on guitar; Eamon O Leary on bouzouki and banjo and Jason Sypher on bass. The concert is based on Grammy-winner Mc Keown's twelfth album Singing in the Dark, where she draws on lyrics from poets of the last thousand years who have written through the lens of depression, mania and addiction. This is a work of many moods, exploring creativity, suffering, and the pursuit of happiness. The album was inspired by the book Touched with Fire: (Manic Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament), by psychiatrist and author Kay Jamison, who contributed an introductory essay to the album. Medicine and the Arts, now in its second year, is a unique and innovative development within the undergraduate Medical curriculum where students engage in a semester-long programme of structured exploration of the Arts across the broad areas of performance, the visual arts and literature. Susan's concert is the flagship event of this year s module and illustrates the commitment of the Medical School to bringing excellent and original work of artistic integrity, promoting the personal development of medical students as future practitioners of medicine and as healing doctors. The group project aspect of Medicine and the Arts - the hospital library, takes the form of a practical engagement with literature, the provision of a mobile library service to patients at University Hospital Galway. Last year Medicine and the Arts medical students carried out all of the research and development of the project and this year the students officially begin the process of engaging with the patients in St Anthony's ward providing books and reading to the patients. The central aim of the hospital library project is to address and relieve the sensory deprivation of patients in hospital wards and restore a greater sense of dignity and an opportunity to use literature to alleviate boredom and promote healing. The medical students also benefit in a meaningful way as they engage in the provision of a voluntary community service Tickets for Susan Mc Keown's concert are €10 and can be purchased at the door. You may also reserve seats with Therese Dixon, Clinical Science Institute at 091 494475/494671 or 524268. All are welcome. -Ends-