My Observations of Art in Hospital

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‘I must believe there is art to medicine as well as science’
Year 3 SSC
Patrick Sco0
Matric. No. 0407825s
Candidate no. 6
My observa8ons of Art in Hospital
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What is Art in Hospital?
This piece of work has been put together to try to give an insight into Art in hospital. I have tried to capture
what is involved and how it integrates with paKent care.
Barbara McEwan Gulliver established Art in hospital in 1991.
“It was established to demonstrate the posiKve role arts can play in the quality of care of paKents in the health
service.”
No model of pracKce had previously been in place and Barbara wanted to show how arKsts can work in
hospital and community seTngs and show that they have a role in paKent care. For this reason, Art in Hospital
was set up as a model of best pracKce.
Since it began, 160,000 paKents have accessed the art in hospital program. It is ran by a collecKon 22 arKsts
across a number of different healthcare seTngs, including acute rehabilitaKon, care for elderly, demenKa care,
stroke rehabilitaKon, care homes and palliaKve care.
It has developed a way of working so by allowing each individual to develop their own creaKvity through
individual expression.
The emphasis is very much on improving health and well being while aiding the rehabilitaKon process. The goal
is to have a permanent non clinical presence within the hospitals and care homes, thus being integrated within
the health service.
FacilitaKon by arKsts allows paKents to express their own creaKvity and explore their own ideas. I offers a
hollisKc approach to paKents, taking into consideraKon their , physical, emoKonal, spiritual and social needs.
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The Ar8st’s perspec8ve
“Its not about the final result, its about
the process and enjoying it”
Neil.
ArKst at Mansionhouse unit.
“Encouraging and helping someone starKng to
make and create something is pleasurable.
Its quite simple. Its about being wrapped up in
art. Art is process. Its never final things. As an
arKst you spend all your Kme in a process and
here is the same, we work in a process.
Its nice to be able to think and work like that
and not have to think what it’s for, what’s the
final result and what does it look like…
.. It does not need to look like anything, the
process is the important part of it.”
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The art class.
Mansionhouse Unit.
“Welcome to the art class. We have got all sorts of art materials here. From paints to pastels to pencils. Its up to
you how you want to approach this. Can spend a wee bit of Kme looking through the books and listening to the
music. or if you want to get started right away on something we can help you...”
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Edna has demenKa. I first met her up on her ward. She had not been down to the class
before and iniKally she was not sure about coming down. She was somewhat confused
as to what the class was and what was expected of her.
“No no, I don’t do art… Sure what use would I be down there?”
The arKst was very good with her and he explanied a li0le about the class and what
things see might like to do. A`er some ‘light’ persuaKon edna decided that it might be
nice to come down and “listen to the music. But definitely not to do any art”.
It was interesKng to see the way in which the arKsts approached paKents and how
accommodaKng they were to each individual.
Down in the art room Edna se0led quite quickly. “This is lovely, is this music just for
us?”. She expressed that it was not at all as she had expected and said she really liked
the atmosphere. She quickly got involved and was very happy looking through some of
the picture books and chaTng.
“The morning flew by… It was really lovely to meet you all. See you this a`ernoon
again”.
When we went back to the ward in the a`ernoon Edna was delighted to see us. “Oh so
you will have me back, great… Maybe I might try some drawing this a`ernoon..”.
During the weeks I was at the classes Edna came down and really got into her work. She
loved drawing with the pastels and said it helped her mood and she looked forward to
the classes. It gave her conversaKon when up on the wards and her visitors said she
“would not stop talking about it”.
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Maureen was the class regular. She had been at the Mansionhouse Unit for several months. And
had been to almost every class. I met her towards the end of her stay. She had created many
pieces of work and used many different materials.
Speaking to the arKst, Maureen had iniKally said she used to love painKng and drawing but it had
been a long Kme since she had done anything art related. She really appreciated the space and
got into it very quickly. “It really breaks up the boredom of being on the ward all week”.
She was a true arKst, she thouroughly enjoyed her work, but was never happy with the final
outcome.
Talking to friends that came to visit Maureen they had said on her request they had bought her
art materials so she could conKnue doing work at home. Art, she said, gave her a purpose. A long
lost hobby to keep her occupied and allow her to again explore her creaKve side.
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Mansionhouse Unit
Here shows an example
of some of the beauKful
work created at the
Mansionhouse.
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Renal Dialysis Project. Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
During the SSC we had the opportunity to visit one of the projects
at the renal dialysis unit at Inverclyde Royal.
It was very interesKng to see Art in hospital in a very different
seTng to the Mansionhouse. Unlike the Mansionhouse the renal
unit was not a designated art space. The paKents were on the
wards receiving dialysis and the arKsts ‘came to them’. It was a
completely different atmosphere, very busy and a lot was going
on.
I have tried to capture this in the photographs.
Speaking to staff and paKents they found the project a great help
in li`ing the boredom factor. PaKents have to undergo lengthy
dialysis treatments three Kmes a week and they found it the class
a very enjoyable distracKon.
PaKents were shown to take very quickly to geTng involved and
it has been shown to be hugely beneficial. A lot of work done by
the paKents has been framed and is displayed throughout the
unit.
“PaKents with chronic kidney disease and the major treatment
they receive is a major disrupKon to their lifestyle. As a result
paKents o`en get quite depressed, the project is aimed at
providing a distracKon to the o`en mundane experience of being
connected to a dialysis machine for long periods of Kme. It keeps
the paKents occupied and gives them all something to talk about
during treatment. It also created a real sense of community to
the ward.”.
Dr. Mun Woo. Consultant Renal Dialysis Unit.
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Renal Project
Here shows work by
paKents at the Renal
Dialysis project.
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Reflec8on on photographic collages.
Throughout the SSC I have tried to document what I saw. The ideas behind the photographic collages allowed
me to show a number of things.
Taking a lot of close up photos and piecing them together to make a larger picture really got me thinking about
the different components. Rather than taking one large photo, I had to think about what was important to
show and how this could be shown. It enabled me to capture different expressions and emoKons in individuals.
It allowed me to capture some of the process of creaKvity, from looking at books to choosing materials to the
painKng and drawing itself. It also allowed me to show the social aspect of the class, with people conversing
and drinking tea. It allowed my to capture some of the atmosphere felt while in the class.
EssenKally it made me think a lot more into what was actually going on around me and it really brought to light
the complexity of it all.
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Life drawing
As part of the SSC we were encouraged to explore our on individual creaKvity. Throughout the 5 weeks we
were offered the opportunity to take part in life drawing classes, including animaKon and drawing from life
models. Having not done anything like this before it gave us a small insight into the the potenKal boundaries
felt by some of the paKents coming to the art class. I was quite apprehensive to begin with but with
encouragement from the arKsts I found it became very enjoyable.
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Conclusion
Looking back before this SSC I
did not know much about Art
in Hospital and what it does.
Very quickly I was able to see
the huge impact its role can
play in the quality of care of
paKents within the health
service.
The process of creaKve thought and expression clearly li`ed the
spirits of the paKents taking part. PaKents o`en remarked on
improved mood and purpose. I feel privileged to have been given
the opportunity to work in collaboraKon with Barbara and the Art
in Hospital ArKsts and the experience has opened my eyes to how
art and medicine can be integrated in healthcare and
management.
“ It’s a really posiKve feeling to be defined as a creaKve person, rather than a paKent.”
ArKst / PaKent. Mansionhouse Unit.
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