Art in the National Health Service : a report / by the DHSS.

  • Great Britain. Department of Health and Social Security
Date:
[1984?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Art in the National Health Service : a report / by the DHSS. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Art of all kinds - from original prints in the main entrance hall to dance on the wards is, to reiterate Professor Kessell’s view, a potent contributor to the overall therapeutic environment of a hospital. This role should not be underestimated. Staff, as much as patients, are entitled to enjoy their place of work and feel a part of a caring environment. In busy District General Hospitals the turnover of patients may be relatively rapid. One hopes that the turnover of staff will be less rapid!! The Performing Arts Various schemes exist to bring the performing arts, (including occasional con- certs, poetry-readings, recitals, performances by mime artists, dancers, pup- peteers) into health settings. These may or may not be designed to involve patients. There is unfortunately not space in this inquiry to go into these projects in any depth. In many mental illness hospitals, hospitals for the elderly and for patients on long-stay surgical wards in general hospitals, the provision of visual art alone does little to counter the chronic boredom of patients for whom hospital has become home. With the setting up of ‘Shape’ by dancer Gina Levete in 1976, a register of professional artists has been compiled who are interested to work with and for these disadvantaged groups (for professional fees!). In Greater London there are now 135 regular weekly arts ‘workshops’ nin by Shape in a variety of institutional settings. This practice is repeated throughout the country thanks to the establishment over the past six years of Regional Shape (Art Share or Art Link) centres.