Creative Dialogues
Connection, understanding, and participation through creativity.
We are researchers, artists, and people living with illness. We undertake community-based creative projects to advocate for people with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions.
Explore our work, download our free resources, and join a community committed to creative health.
Start At Belonging
Art & Parkinson’s in Dialogue
Tara Coleman & Sam McLaughlan
CREATIVE DIALOGUES
Creative Dialogues are artistic exchanges — a way of expressing the experience of illness through art-making, creative writing, poetry, performance, and shared reflection.
• In everyday life, to process and reflect
• In healthcare, to build understanding
• In research, to center lived experience
ABOUT US
We are a collective of independent researchers, artists, and people with lived experience of Parkinson’s and other chronic conditions.
What We Do
We create collaborative art-based projects exploring themes of illness, identity and belonging. We work in partnership with local communities to co-create inclusive approaches to health and research.
Affiliation
Creative Dialogues is part of the Placing Unheard Voices project, funded by a Marsden grant from the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
E-BOOKS & RESOURCES
Our e-books and tools are designed to support reflection, communication, and belonging through creative practice. We are committed to open-access publishing whenever possible to support equitable and inclusive research practices.
WORKSHOPS
Participants, partnerships, and Patti Smith: People (with Parkinson’s) have the power.
A workshop on spoken word and sharing the research process.
COMING SOON
In collaboration with Atuanui Press:
Pill-Rolling Fingers: Poems about early Parkinson’s
An anthology of research and personal poetry arranged in constellations of experience. Written by Tara Coleman with illustrations by Amy Melchior. Coming late 2025.
Spotlight on artist Amy Melchior included in our October newsletter
Start At Belonging
Art & Parkinson’s in Dialogue
Tara Coleman & Sam McLaughlan
Available as a free download PDF, and to read directly on this site.
ENGAGE
CONTRIBUTE
Want to be featured? Email us a short description of your creative work related to illness, art, or research.
CONTACT
We’d love to hear from you. Email: placingunheardvoices@outlook.com