Behind Walls

Conversation, Co-Creation, Connection

2026

Location: Waterford City | Derry
Format: Two large-scale physical murals + One combined digital mural
Project Lead: Dr. Maria Prencipe | UCD Conway Institute

Location:

Waterford City | Derry
Format:

Two large-scale physical murals + One combined digital mural
Project Lead:

Dr. Maria Prencipe | UCD Conway Institute

Behind Walls aims to contribute to a world where cancer is spoken about openly and without stigma.

Behind Walls will contribute to a world where cancer is spoken about openly and without stigma.

About the project

Around one in two people on the island of Ireland will experience cancer in their lifetime. Raising awareness on this issue requires collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and borders.

Behind Walls aims to raise awareness and bridge the gap between research and the general public. One of the fundamental aspects of the project is to amplify the patient voice.

Behind Walls is a cross-border, multidisciplinary arts and public health project exploring how art can raise awareness of cancer and bridge the gap between research and the diverse communities it serves. We have chosen to work across the island of Ireland because cancer has no borders, so neither should we.

The project brings together artist Aches, motion graphic designer Cyan Ryan, cancer researchers, filmmaker Éanna MacCanna, cancer patient advocates and other community groups to collaboratively create a series of artworks and a short film documenting the process.

Behind Walls aims to raise awareness and bridge the gap between research and the general public. One of the fundamental aspects of the project is to amplify the patient voice.

Aches will create two large-scale murals in Waterford & Derry, informed by community participation and conversations developed through workshops held in both locations. During these workshops, participants share experiences, perspectives, and ideas. People with lived experience of cancer are central to this process, ensuring their voices meaningfully shape the work.  Alongside this, Cyan Ryan will design a digital mural installation using motion graphics to create an immersive piece designed for projection and live presentation.

Behind Walls hopes to contribute to a world where cancer is spoken about openly and without stigma and where the voices of people with lived experience of the disease shape how we understand it, respond to it, and ultimately tackle it together.

`Behind Walls hopes to contribute to a world where cancer is spoken about openly and without stigma and where the voices of people with lived experience of the disease shape how we understand it, respond to it, and ultimately tackle it together.

Process Phases

A cross-community art-science programme using co-creation, public murals, and youth-led learning.

01 Co-Creation

4 Co-Creation Workshops held in Waterford & Derry involving adults with lived experience, youth, community groups, researchers and artists

02

Artist ACHES paints murals in Waterford & Derry and one live painting exhibition at All Together Now Festival. Digital mural exhibited at ATN and during Ireland’s EU Presidency December 2026 Panel discussion at ATN with special guests

03

Six-week science programme at Mount Sion CBS. Youth-led dissemination to peers. Health workshop at Derry GAA club. Focus on resilience & wellbeing

Co-Creation

4 Co-Creation Workshops held in Waterford & Derry involving adults with lived experience, youth, community groups, researchers and artists

Timeline

Since launching in early 2026, Behind Walls has grown through collaboration, curiosity and conversation. Artists, cancer researchers, community organisations and people with lived experience have come together to explore different ways of talking about cancer through creativity.

DEC ‘25

Behind Walls is awarded Research Ireland Discover Programme funding.

JAN ‘26

Project partners come together at UCD to launch Behind Walls and documentary filming begins

FEB ‘26

Artists and cancer researchers begin working together to shape the project.

MAR ‘26

Artists visit the Conway Institute at UCD to explore cancer research and microscopy.

MAY ‘26

Co-Creation workshops take place across Waterford to gain insights for large-scale mural

Bringing together schools, community groups, cancer researchers and people with lived experience of cancer.

JUN ‘26

Ideas and insights from the workshops begin to inform the development of the public artworks.

JUL ‘26

Collaboration continues as artists and researchers explore microscopy as inspiration for new digital work.

AUG ‘26

All Together Now Festival Behind Walls launch, featuring live painting, public conversations and a digital mural.

SEP ‘26

Community engagement and mural development continue in Derry.

LATE ‘26

The completed artworks, documentary and wider project outcomes are shared with the public.

As Behind Walls continues, the conversations and creative collaborations will take shape as public artworks, digital experiences and events that invite more people to get involved. The project will expand to Derry, with further community engagement helping to shape the next phase of the work.

Alongside the murals, a documentary will follow the project's journey, capturing the people, partnerships and ideas behind it. Together, these elements will celebrate the role that conversation, co-creation and creativity can play in making cancer research more open, accessible and connected to communities.

Meet the Team

A confident person with short, styled hair and a leather jacket poses against a dark backdrop.

Aches

Leads design and painting of two large-scale murals; one in Waterford, one in Derry, co-created through the conversations developed through local workshops with the public and also people with lived experiance of cancer.

Street Artist

Cian Ryan

Creates the combined digital mural and project visuals; integrates AR/QR user journeys; designs educational assets.

Graphic Designer

Éanna Mac Cana

Documents the full co-creation lifecycle; produces short documentary and social media clips featuring authentic participant voices.

Filmmaker

Chantal Halley

Oversees overall project coordination, public engagement strategy, and programme delivery.

Programme Manager & Lead

Ruth McGreevy

Coordinates creative scheduling, artist requirements, and on-site mural production execution.

Arts Project Manager

Rabie Mustapha

Documents the project alongside Éanna Mac Cana and co-directs a short film about public engagement with cancer research through art.

Filmmaker

Kate Duffy

Kate Duffy is a cancer researcher at UCD investigating how prostate cancer spreads.

Cancer Researcher

Caoimbhe Burke

Caoimbhe Burke is a researcher at UCD researching bacteria and their relationship with breast cancer and the immune system.

Cancer Researcher

Chowdhury Arif Jahangir

Chowdhury Arif Jahangir is a cancer researcher at the UCD Conway Institute, bringing his experience in cancer research to help communicate scientific ideas in an accessible way to the public.

Cancer Researcher

Partner Organisations

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Become a partner

Get in touch

If you have questions about Behind Walls, or would like to get involved, we'd love to hear from you!

+44 7556 233 945