Quick Flicks & Chill Brings Creativity and Women’s Wellness Together in Dublin

What do pelvic floor health, air-dry clay, candid conversation and creativity have in common?

Quite a lot, as participants discovered at Quick Flicks & Chill, a recent women’s wellness gathering that brought together creative activity, professional health information and the opportunity to talk openly about issues that are still too often discussed in whispers.

The event was the first in a developing Create & Chat series and was facilitated by Vanessa Thomas, Dublin Arts Collective President, with guest speakers Halie Gordon, a pelvic and women’s health physical therapist, and Christine Pham, a fitness trainer and CrossFit coach. The conversation was hosted by Gina Gabriell at The Blue Chair Atelier Cache makers studio in Dublin and sponsored by the Dublin Arts Collective.

Held during Perimenopause Awareness Month, the gathering focused particularly on pelvic floor health and the genitourinary changes that can occur during perimenopause and menopause.

Bringing Expertise to the Conversation

Gordon brought both orthopedic and specialized pelvic-health experience to the discussion. After completing her undergraduate degree at Humboldt State University, she earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from UCSF and began her career working as an orthopedic physical therapist in San Luis Obispo.

Today, Gordon has found her passion in pelvic and women’s health physical therapy, working as part of a broader care team to educate and support women through different stages of life. That emphasis on education was particularly relevant to Quick Flicks & Chill, where participants were encouraged not only to listen to the professionals in the room, but also to ask questions and talk openly about their own understanding of women’s health.

Pham brought the perspective of a fitness professional and experienced CrossFit coach to the conversation. An experienced trainer passionate about training women in midlife, she recently achieved her Certified CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2) credential.

Her contribution helped connect the discussion around women’s health with strength, movement and maintaining physical capability through midlife and beyond, complementing Gordon’s specialist perspective on pelvic and women’s health physical therapy.

Together, the speakers approached women’s wellbeing from different but complementary perspectives, while the informal Create & Chat format gave participants plenty of opportunity to ask questions and join the conversation.

Creating While We Chat

Rather than following a traditional lecture format, participants were invited to create while they listened and talked.

Using foil and air-dry clay, attendees created anatomical models — an activity designed to combine curiosity, creativity and greater awareness of female anatomy.

The result was an afternoon that included plenty of laughter alongside serious discussion. Health professionals shared practical information from their respective fields, while the informal format allowed participants to ask questions and learn from one another without the atmosphere of a conventional health presentation.

The approach reflects growing interest in the relationship between arts participation, social connection and wellbeing, including the developing field of social prescribing, through which people can be connected with appropriate community activities and resources alongside traditional health and social care.

Quick Flicks & Chill was also held in recognition of UNGA Healing Arts Week, an annual program of events held alongside the United Nations General Assembly highlighting approaches to health and wellbeing through the arts.

For Thomas, a certified menopause coach, the gathering provided another opportunity to explore what happens when creativity becomes part of the health conversation.

“Creative activities give us something to do with our hands while we talk about subjects that can sometimes feel difficult or deeply personal,” Thomas said. “It changes the atmosphere. People aren’t simply sitting and being given information — they’re participating, talking and connecting.”

The afternoon also demonstrated that community health education does not always need to happen in a clinical environment.

Sometimes it can happen around a table, with a piece of clay in your hands, a knowledgeable professional nearby and other women willing to chat and support each other.