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Summer News from Art at the Heart of the RUH
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A slightly belated hello! It’s been the busiest time that I can remember and it is a great pleasure to see ‘Fusion’, our collaboration with Bath Spa students and tutors, finally installed and I have to say, turning a few heads!


It’s been a huge task for many to prepare and has taken almost a year from inception to conception and I believe that this is the most innovative arts collaboration between a hospital and a university. The catalogue and arts map will help to guide you around the show and a ‘Celebration’ event will be held in late September.

Furthermore, a year in the making is an exhibition called pARTicipate with art work produced by patients, students, volunteers and Artist in Residence, Edwina Bridgeman. It is also truly a collaborative project and showcases our Stitch in Time project on Combe Ward for older patients, Artsparks for young patients and an artist residency in the new Pathology Laboratory for a Bath Spa student.

For Capital Projects, I have selected some stunning giclee images by Nick Cudworth of our catchment area and they will be installed in the new Waterhouse Ward re-furb for Older Patients and will particularly help to focus on reminiscence and a sense of place.

I hope you enjoy reading our news and maybe catch some of the events over the next couple of months. Next week, we are especially looking forward to the Bath Folk Festival that begins on the 10th August and we have more performances coming up in the autumn with Live Music Now.

Wishing everyone a good summer! Hetty Dupays, Arts Programme Manager

Exhibition Programme

Summer - Autumn  (17th July 2015 - 2nd October 2015)

Feast your eyes on Fusion!

Fusion: Where Two Minds Collide is now on display around the RUH, showcasing fantastic artwork from Bath Spa University students.

 

Art at the Heart have collaborated with Bath Spa University to bring RUH staff, patients and visitors an exhilarant exhibition dedicated to health and wellbeing. Fusion explores individual art practice as well as site specific work created for a hospital environment.

The artwork is set to inspire and engage with the health context in either a direct or in-direct way and there's even an interactive map to guide you around the sites as well as a booklet containing information on the artist’s work.
 
Art at the Heart, the hospital’s art charity has been running for 15 years. Developing every year the programme strives to reach new audiences, and with 29 students and 1 tutor's work involved in the show, this collaboration is one of a kind. The students work ranges from poetry to painting, photography to contemporary sculpture, projections to outdoor installations.

“Love the idea of the Gallery - It's a win-win for both hospital, artists and those who observe" Patient
pARTicipate

pARTicipate is a series of interactive workshops, events and live performances that take place at the RUH. Art at the Heart currently delivers art, activities and music to the children’s and older patient’s wards. If you would like to find out more, we have produced a booklet containing information on all of our projects, available on request by contacting the arts team (01225 824987 or ext 4987)

The pARTicipate exhibition is on show in the central corridor alongside Fusion and features work produced by patients, students, volunteers and artist in residence, Edwina Bridgeman. It showcases our Stitch in Time project on Combe Ward for older patients, Artsparks for young patients and an artist residency in the new Pathology Laboratory for a Bath Spa student.
Reminiscence Therapy improves well-being for older patients. "It is widely recognised that the arts have a key role to play in delivering an improved patient environment." Art at the Heart encourages and supports social skills and interaction between patients. The aims of pARTicipate workshops are to increase patients' self-esteem and confidence by introducing them to a new skill that they can then share with their family, friends and loved ones. 
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CircleBath

Art at the Heart of the RUH is pleased to present a new exhibition at the CircleBath


This spectacular science and art exhibition at CircleBath features Environmental artist Julie Starks who creates artwork that reflects her fascination with ecosystems, sustainability and the fractal nature of our world.

Joining Julie is artist and tutor Stephen McGrath’s whose art practice involves a process of experimental abstraction from images researched from biomedical sources. His drawings, paintings and prints are inspired by his enduring fascination with human microbiology.

Artsparks

The Playroom Book - created on the Childrens' Ward for the Childrens' Ward


I’m not sure how many people know about the playroom. Patients and their families often seem surprised on discovering it, an unexpected place in a hospital. The surprise invariably turns to delight as patients are free to explore all the toys, the play house, play cafe, enormous boxes of dinosaurs and dressing up clothes.

The Play Specialists organise the room and
create a safe and welcoming environment
for children and their families. As Artist in
Residence I visit the ward weekly to run
creative workshops.The Playroom is the ideal environment. Children are absorbed in the activities on offer which help them relax, make friends and use their imaginations.

The Playroom is a special place and I believe plays an important role in Childrens recovery, it is also unique in being the place where Children can really be themselves and play.

It is for this reason that I wanted to make the Playroom Book, not only to celebrate it but to use it as a resource for Children and their families prior to them visiting the Children’s Ward.

Edwina Bridgeman, Artist in Residence

“Helps with all the waiting around, time goes quicker” Patient
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Soundbite

Music Programme (August - September 2015)

Soundbite: The Album


Back in April I spent some time at The Riverside Youth Recording Studios in Bath recording Soundbite: The Album. I chose to sing popular songs from the OPU’s and a couple from the Childrens ward, with a mixture of my ukulele accompaniment and backing tracks. The album has classics such as ‘Fly me to the moon’, ‘What a wonderful world’ and of course ‘Let it go’ from Disneys Frozen! I really enjoyed recording the album and I hope people enjoy listening to it too. Frankie Simpkins, Musician in Residence

 

Frankie’s Interactive Performances


Frankie entertains patients and their families with an on-going and fully inclusive music service for the hospital with weekly interactive performances, tailored to all ages and tastes. She gives patients that enjoy the music an opportunity to learn about a range of instruments, join in with performances or simply tap their feet and sing along.

 

Bath Folk Festival is once again teaming up with Art at the Heart to bring a series of great folk acts to the RUH

 

Monday 10th August – Lampa

Lampa is a Contemporary Irish Trad band who mixes new genres and themes to create an eclectic upbeat blend of music and song.
Tuesday 11th August - Steve Turner
Steve is a multi-instrumentalist, who also accompanies himself on the cittern, and also plays mandolin and banjo.
Wednesday 12th August – Deauir
Deuair is Welsh folk duo Elsa Davies and Ceri Owen-Jones: fiddle, harp and two voices.
Thursday 13th August - Towpath choir
The Towpath Choir are a sea shanty singing group from the legendary Tuesday singing sessions at The Cross Guns, Avoncliff.
Friday 14th August - Helen Gentile and Lewis Wood
Helen Gentile and Lewis Wood are a folk duo based in Southampton. They play instrumental folk music on fiddle and clarinet, with English and European influences.

www.bathfolkfestival.org

“Thank you so much, a lovely addition to the ward, the patients thoroughly enjoyed it and it gave everyone something to talk about” Staff Member
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Capital Projects

Art within the built environment

A Study of Histology

Pathology Laboratory Placement
Elske Carels-Watson, Bio-Artist
 

As a studying artist in Bio-art, Elske is fascinated by microbiology and the correlation of structures that make up the human body, equally she is fascinated by diseases and the effects it has on the human body. During her placement at the RUH, Elske wished to create a piece of artwork for the hospital inspired by the hospital itself.

A Study of Histology is a textile piece created through layering dying and manipulating fabric resembling that of disease in the human body. Elske used calico material which is a natural material as a base as it absorbs dyes well and can be manipulated easily. The calico was infiltrated with drips of paraffin wax then dyed with natural blue dye this technique is called Batique and resembled the wax and dyes used in the pathology lab to create samples.

The second layer is embellished organza, organza is a fine iridescent material which resembled neurons. This top layer is embellished to create raised circular shapes suggesting a cellular structure found in the brain. A Study of Histology will be returning to its permanent home in the Pathology Laboratory in October.

Waterhouse Refurbishment
Dementia-friendly Interior Design Scheme


Waterhouse Ward is currently undergoing a complete refurbishment over the summer and will now be dedicated to caring for older patients. Similar to the Combe Ward’s transformation, which was funded by the Kings Fund, Waterhouse Ward will have a strong emphasis on an attractive and welcoming environment and sensitive use of colour and the arts will help to achieve this.

The Arts can help patients, staff and carers to have a focal point which can aid social interaction, reminiscence and can also help with way finding. We have carefully selected a series of 16 framed limited edition prints by Nick Cudworth, to display throughout the ward, which will show familiar scenes, past and present of Bath and surrounding areas.

Feedback
We welcome your feedback!

We always aim to enhance the look and feel of the hospital with art and to deliver more arts projects to support the healing of patients.

We have feedback cards situated along the RUH main corridors and welcome your feedback on the exhibition programme, art workshops and music performances so please let us know your thoughts.

Alternatively you can email Diane Samways, Marketing and Audience Development Manager on diane.samways@nhs.net
 

Fundraising
The Forever Friends Appeal is the charity for the Royal United Hospital.

They fund projects that make a real difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients cared for by the Royal United Hospital each year as well as the friends and family who visit them. Fundraisers and donors make it possible for us to help pay for additional equipment, research and innovations, as well as finishing touches and ‘extras’ that complement the existing high quality care at the Hospital.

If you would like to support the Arts programme you can make a donation, take part in an event (below) or find out many more ways to get involved. Whichever way you chose, you will be helping us maintain and continue this valuable service for for the benefit of patients, staff and visitors.
 

Can you help?

We are always looking for inspiring, motivated and knowledgeable individuals to volunteer or join the Arts Strategy Group. 

If you’re interested in becoming involved in our work or feel you have something to offer please get in touch with our Arts Programme Manager Hetty Dupays on hetty.dupays@nhs.net or call 01225 824987.


If you would like to donate money which will help us maintain and continue the arts programme then you can do so by clicking on the Donate button below or filling out our Sales and Donations form. Another way you can help us out is by purchasing art work as a commission goes straight into the Art at the Heart fund.
Copyright © 2013 Art at the Heart of the RUH, Charity No. 1058323, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Art at the Heart of the RUH
2nd Floor, Bath & Wessex House
Royal United Hospital NHS Trust
Combe Park
Bath
BA1 3NG
T: 01225 824 987
e: hetty.dupays@nhs.net

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