Reaching out for a better experience
Published 7 Jan 2013 17:00
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Alloa group among contributors in plan to bring art to hospital
THE expertise of a leading team of designers, engineers and architects from the Royal College of Art is being used to try to create a brighter and 'softer' environment for patients in the mental health unit at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
The five-strong team, part of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, will be working at the hospital this week (7 January to 11 January ) and will be mapping out how patients and staff use corridors, dining and sitting rooms at different times of day and night.
They will also be interviewing patients, relatives, clinical, allied health professionals and administrative staff.
NHS Forth Valley Arts Co-ordinator Babs McCool said, "By the end of the week, they will have built up a detailed picture of how the unit works, and their findings will be used to develop designs to further enhance the clinical environment.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to tap into some of the most artistic talent in the UK and I am really excited by the research and to learn about their ideas."
During the following week (January 14-18) user groups including Reachout in Alloa, Action in Mind in Stirling, and Falkirk and District Association for Mental Health, will then have the opportunity, with the help of artist Sharon Quigley, to create their own designs based on these initial findings.
Finally, visual artist Jacqueline Donachie will be resident in the unit for the last week of January.
Her experience of creating artworks with communities and for healthcare buildings across Scotland and internationally, will help her generate ideas for artworks based on her own findings and interactions with people, as well as those of the Helen Hamlyn Centre.
Once these three stages of field research are complete the designers and the artist will develop detailed proposals with the contributions from patients, staff and service users.
Fundraising will then begin for the next stages which, if successful, will see the designing and prototyping, and then the production and installation of original design features and artworks, throughout the mental health unit.
The funding for the research is being supported by Creative Scotland's Public Art Research and Development Investment Programme and the project partners include the University Of Stirling's School of Nursing, ForthHealth and Serco.
For further information, please get in touch with Babs McCool, Arts Coordinator, 01324 567492 or babs.mccool@nhs.net
This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 07 Jan 13
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