Powerful film screening and public discussion on dementia care to take place in Tipperary

Tipperary audiences will have a rare opportunity to experience a film piece held in the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) National Collection and engage in discussion around dementia care and Ireland’s new capacity legislation this week.

The public engagement event featuring a screening of the provocative and moving artwork Yes, But Do You Care? by acclaimed multidisciplinary visual artist Marie Brett takes place in The Source Arts Centre, Thurles on Friday, September 19 at 2.30pm.

This free admission, afternoon event is part of a national tour designed to spark vital conversations about care, capacity, humanity, and legislation in Ireland today, through the lens of art.

Yes, But Do You Care? is a compelling and ambitious audio-visual artwork that reimagines family caregiving, the ethics of autonomy, and the implications of Ireland’s new capacity legislation. It explores the human right to make a ‘bad’ decision and the complex emotional terrain of caregiving.

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The artwork, now held in the National Collection at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), offers a rich visual and sound collage. Imagery includes surreal and tender scenes: a muscle-man bravado in a kitchen, a man spinning wildly in tall grass and dancing under high-rise flats. The soundtrack mixes tango and waltz rhythms with powerful real-life audio testimonies and legal language, creating a haunting yet humanising experience.

Created by Marie Brett in collaboration with renowned choreographer and dancer Philip Connaughton, members of the Dementia Carers Campaign Network (supported by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland), and advisors in law, advocacy, and human rights, the piece fuses art with real-life experience.

The afternoon includes a public discussion and Q&A session with the artist herself, offering audiences an opportunity to learn about the creative process, the research behind the project, and the personal stories that shaped the work. Each tour venue offers its own unique panel conversation. The Tipperary event will be opened by Source Arts Centre Artistic Director, Brendan Maher and will see invited guest speakers from the fields of arts, healthcare, and legal advocacy come together to delve into the complex issues the work explores.

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The film screening and discussion aim to open up critical new conversations around Ireland's shifting legislative and social landscape, especially in relation to dementia care, carer capacity, and autonomy.

Ireland is currently undergoing a major shift in how it legally defines and supports decision-making capacity and family caregiving. As such, Yes, But Do You Care? lands at a vital moment. By combining emotive artistic expression with rigorous legal and social commentary, the event aims to not only engage but challenge its audience to reflect on the systems, policies, and personal experiences shaping care today.

Speaking about the project, Brett said:

“It's a privilege to get to make artwork responding to such personal and life-changing individual experiences. The family carers I worked with were so stellar in their bravery, and I'll never forget them describing a silent scream while I was researching Ireland’s new capacity legislation and how it would affect family carers.”

“The challenge then for an artist is to honour the truth of those stories and reimagine a creative piece that's both artistically ambitious and ethically sound. It's fantastic that the art piece is now in IMMA’s collection for generations to come, and I'm really looking forward to meeting visitors and sharing some behind-the-scenes stories at the screening events.”

Whether you're a healthcare professional, artist, advocate, carer, or member of the public with an interest in the human condition and social justice, the afternoon promises a moving and thought-provoking experience.

This event is part of a wider national tour titled Yes, But?, led by Marie Brett and supported by a range of arts, community, and healthcare organisations, with principal funding from The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.