Hospital art project shortlisted for award

The University of Wolverhampton and Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust (PCT) joined forces for the West Park Rehabilitation Hospital 2010 project in the last academic year.

Ten BA (Hons) Photography students worked on a professional brief from the PCT to develop an exhibition of photographs of landscapes, including many regional locations. West Park Hospital cares for patients recovering from a serious accident, brain injury, strokes or are elderly, and the exhibited work is situated in day rooms and corridors across all four wards.

Now the project - part of the PCT's arts for health and wellbeing programme - has been shortlisted in the Best Use of Visual Art in Healthcare category at the Building Better Healthcare Awards 2010.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday, November 11 2010 at The Brewery in London.

The awards recognise and celebrate best practice and world class architecture, design, facilities and estates management in the healthcare built environment.

Senior Lecturer in Photography at the University’s School of Art & Design, Dr Peter Day, worked on the project. He said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for these prestigious awards. The students enjoyed working on a real brief and we hope the patients enjoy seeing the artwork at the hospital.

“Research and case studies of this nature are providing an invaluable insight into the role that art can play in improving and enhancing the healing environment, supporting patient recovery and wellbeing as well as advancing the knowledge and experiences of arts and healthcare projects nationally.”

Natalie Lewis, arts coordinator for the PCT, said: "The students’ artwork has greatly improved the environment at West Park Rehabilitation Hospital and it’s wonderful to have been shortlisted for the award.

“We are continuing to develop our partnership with the University of Wolverhampton and this enriches the delivery of our arts for health and wellbeing programme for the benefit of our patients, service users, staff and local communities."

It is the second time a project between the two organisations has been shortlisted for an award recently. The Snow Hill Project 2009/10 reached the finals of the A&B Young People Award category of the Regional Arts & Business Jaguar Land Rover Awards 2010, which took place on Thursday October 7, 2010.

The project involved renaming and rebranding Wolverhampton’s contraception and sexual health service to become THINK, with the aim of making it more appealing to young people. The service’s main base at the Snow Hill Centre in the city centre was given a make-over including glass artwork designed by young people and photography by students from University of Wolverhampton on the walls.

The awards bring together the leading players of commerce and culture in the Midlands, celebrating creativity and innovation between business and the arts in the region.

ENDS

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