Exploring Kindness at Creative Brain Week 2025
Posted on: 17 June 2025
Local and international academic and research experts—alongside individuals with lived experience—came together to explore the powerful intersection of brain science and creativity, and the potential benefits it can bring to humanity
Now in its fourth year, Creative Brain Week—a collaboration between the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) at Trinity College and Creative Aging International—returned to explore the theme of ‘Activating Kindness’ both online and in person at Trinity this month. Over the past 12 months, the groundbreaking event expanded to include six Creative Brain Week events around the world, spanning Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America.
James Hadley, Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation, The Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain, and Pratchett Prize winners Fiona Flavin (left) and Sinéad Gallivan
Leading experts in science, psychiatry, neurology, and psychology, alongside people with lived experience of dementia and other brain health challenges, explored the vital role of kindness and its intersections with brain science and creativity. Their collaborative investigations aimed to uncover how these connections can foster positive outcomes for individuals and society. The insights generated are intended to shape both the understanding and practical advancement of brain health.
Dr Linda Doyle, Provost, Trinity College Dublin at the opening of Creative Brain Week 2025
Brian Lawlor, Founding Director of GBHI at Trinity said “In a world marked by uncertainty and conflict, Creative Brain Week 2025 invited us to pause and ask: What if we chose a different path—one of kindness? This year’s theme, ‘Activating Kindness,’ explored the brain science and psychological roots of kindness, and how it is practiced in real-world contexts. It challenged us to discover how kindness can be cultivated and what we can learn from those already leading the way. It was a vital opportunity to explore what happens when kindness, creativity, and brain science come together—and to understand the positive impact kindness has on our brains, health, and communities.”
GBHI and Atlantic Fellow community members: Brian Lawlor, Iracema Leroi, Gráinne McGetterick, Eimear McGlinchey, Nicholas Johnson, and Ian Robertson
On the first day of the conference, the Pratchett Prize—named in honour of the acclaimed author Sir Terry Pratchett, whose life’s work was donated to Trinity College—was awarded to Fiona Flavin and Sinéad Gallivan for Singing for the Brain, in recognition of their contribution to reducing the impact and stigma of Alzheimer’s disease through music, connection, and community. They joined last year’s inaugural joint winners, Irish actor Bryan Murray and playwright Deirdre Kinahan.
Creative Brain Week featured compelling talks, including "The Value of Activating Kindness," with Niamh Flynn and Cliona Murray of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at the University of Galway, who presented findings from empathy research with young people. Gillian Sandstrom of the Centre for Kindness Research at Sussex University also spoke, illuminating the nature of kindness and its impacts on people and communities.
This year also introduced Threads—small group sessions where experts and practitioners collaborated on actionable, real-world applications of neuroscience and creativity across key areas such as healthcare, education, the impact of creativity, and the evolving role of cultural institutions in brain health.
Photographer and Atlantic Fellow Alex Kornhuber and Kate Irving, Professor of Clinical Nursing at Dublin City University, pictured with their collaborative project Keepsake Chronicles: Stories in Times of Dementia
Dominic Campbell co-founder of Creative Aging International and co-producer of Creative Brain Week said, “We were delighted to return to Trinity for our fourth Creative Brain Week in Dublin. This year’s event was greatly enriched by the momentum built from previous gatherings, including six global events held over the past year. We learned a lot!"
It was a stimulating week, combining thought-provoking talks, a rich creative programme, and exhibitions—spanning disciplines and countries but always with arts, neuroscience, and lived experience at its core. We engaged with global experts and local heroes alike, sharing both established and emerging practices in research, innovation, and activism.
More than knowledge-sharing, we aimed to turn informative discussions into real-world action that could make a tangible difference in brain health. Organisers hope people left feeling inspired to Activate Kindness.”
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