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"Welcome to our newsletter and we are pleased to be able to share some of our news this year. 2020 has been a very challenging year and we have all had to adapt to new ways of working during the pandemic and with wards closed and access to visitors restricted for much of the time Art at the Heart has remained very busy behind the scenes.
Back in the Spring at the start of the pandemic, AATH networked with other hospitals in the region to share ideas and resources and supported Southmead Hospital’s art’s manager to provide art installations for the Bristol Nightingale Hospital, we sourced artist/designer Lisa Todd’s artwork including a ‘Lion of Windsor’ for the Relatives Liaison Room. Although this facility wasn’t operational over the summer months, the patient, clinical and estates teams recognised the need to soften the harsh clinical environment through the use of art and design where possible.
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We have been adjusting to new ways of working and how patient facing projects, such as our music and arts projects can continue and although progress has been slow we are sure that these additional resources below will help to support wards even when we are able to return to our regular programme."
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Art and Craft Packs for Patients
Art at the Heart have worked closely with the RUH Patient Experience Teams and together we created 3 choices of single use arts/crafts activity packs for patients. These contained drawing/painting materials, modelling clay, knitting and crochet needles and wool, cross stitch and origami.
They were distributed to wards and following feedback we are now ordering and simplifying these packs and will make these available for wards to collect on demand, as well as keeping a supply in stock for the End of Life and Dementia teams. The Children’s ward will have plenty of modelling clay which will come in very handy in the run up to Christmas. The Friends of the RUH are funding these purchases and we hope to develop this project over the long term and include volunteers in the creation and distribution of the art/craft packs.
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We have also provided creative links for the new iPads for wards, which includes concerts, museum / gallery displays and links to live web cams including zoos.
Many patients have been unable to see their loved ones and have nothing to do whilst in hospital, and our usual participatory workshops and music visits to wards aren’t able to take place due to current restrictions. The arts and craft packs have been put together to give patients the opportunity to have a go at doing some creative activities, alleviate boredom and ultimately improve patient experience.
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The Arts and Craft packs have been created by Art at the Heart, the arts charity for the RUH, supported and funded by the Patient Experience Team and RUH Charitable Fund.
"Here are some photos taken during and after an art session using the coloured clay provided by Art at the Heart. This amazing donation of coloured clay and tools has made such a difference to our resources and has been particularly enjoyed by Adolescents. It’s both therapeutic and achievable as it is easily moulded and not too messy.”
Jo and Rachael, Play Specialists
RUH Children's Ward
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Boredom Buster
To counter isolation, loneliness, anxiety and boredom among hospital patients a specially designed Boredom Buster (BB) has been produced for distribution during the Covid 19 outbreak. Inpatients are often either unable to, or restricted to receiving visits from family members, volunteers or hospital arts activity professionals and are therefore requiring more psycho-social support from staff who are under more pressure. This creative activity resource, single use per patient was led by Culture Weston and the Arts and Culture Programme of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, in an easily distributable newsprint format. The resource has been inputted by and shared between numerous NHS Hospital Trusts through the National Performance Advisory Group for Arts, Design and Heritage in Hospitals (#HospitalArts).
The BB’s theme is ‘The Seaside’ and includes activities that stimulate and engage cognitive function, observation, manual dexterity, multi-sensory responses, memory and ‘mindfulness’ to relieve stress and alleviate anxiety. Eg. Puzzles, games, breathing for relaxation, poetry, songs, prompts for creative writing, drawing, origami, conversation and a means of expressing gratitude.
These projects have been kindly supported by RUH Patient Experience team, RUH Charitable Funds and The Friends of the RUH.
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I See You by Ali Brown 12 signs from the Dept of Kindness.
12th May 2020 marked Florence Nightingale’s bicentennial; the Dept. of Kindness and Fresh Arts, Southmead Hospital generously offered this exhibition to Art at the Heart of the RUH; we are aiming to support and encourage staff in practising self-care and being mindful of their wellbeing.
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‘We Can Do It!’ painted by Hannah Gaisford, RUH Nurse.
Hannah says “We felt a lot of anxiety building in anticipation of what was coming. I LOVE the original war time poster, it is a powerful image, I put her in some PPE so she could become our positive image.”
Please see further information below in this newsletter about how these artworks were used in our International Year of the Nurse and Midwife window.
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"Walking through the ART really makes me smile" Staff Member
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The continuing Covid lockdowns has resulted in fewer installs and sales although we have continued to manage the exhibition programme and conducted general housekeeping on the current exhibitions – this includes a comprehensive inventory of all the artworks on display at the RUH and Circle, Bath and putting many exhibitions on-line to enable wider accessibility and a further opportunity for sales. Between lockdowns, we have concentrated on providing new exhibitions in the main central corridor including the Staff and Volunteers exhibitions over the Summer months and currently the members exhibition by Bath Society of Artists, a collective of leading artists from the region who normally are part of an annual show at Victoria Art Gallery in Bath.
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Artwork above: Pheasant by Amanda Gell, Staff and Volunteer Exhibition 2020
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Support our arts programme by purchasing an artwork!
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A great way to support the arts programme is to buy one of the many artworks we show around the hospital site. Not only will you be supporting our artists but you will help to continue the arts at the RUH for patients, visitors and staff as a third of all sales goes to the RUH Arts Fund.
Please visit https://artatruh.org/support-us/buy-an-artwork/
Wards and departments can also purchase artwork with their charitable funds, please contact Exhibitions Manager Tony Smith, tonysmith3@nhs.net or 01225 824987 if you would like to buy an artwork.
Artwork opposite: Lurcher by Sally Muir (BSA)
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Exhibitions Survey
Going forward, we are looking to gain feedback on our Exhibitions programme and would be very grateful if you can take 10mins to help us by completing this survey online via survey monkey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DNKZP29
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Bath Society of Artists (BSA) Members Show
The Exhibition is held in the main corridor of the RUH and is a celebration of the creativity within the BSA membership community. You can view the artwork catalogue online https://artatruh.org/exhibitions/temporary-programme/central-exhibition/
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National Alzheimer’s Day and Week of Music for patients
A tea party complete with cake, bunting and music marked World Alzheimer’s Day at the RUH in September. The socially-distanced event took place in Combe ward’s garden, with music provided by Art at the Heart musician Frankie Simpkins who played a selection of well-known tunes on the flute.
Frankie performed at other locations in the RUH throughout the week for patients including the Spiritual Care Centre and the Discharge Hub!
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We are now planning to cautiously bring live music and participatory art projects back to the wards; following safety guidelines for Covid-19.
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"Thank you! I think it is inspiring & positive - you could be a great model for other places of healing." Patient and visitor
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The International Year of the Nurse and Midwife
Art at the Heart was involved in plans to mark the 200 year anniversary of Florence Nightingale and most had to be cancelled. However an opportunity arose in October to do a pop up shop window to mark this anniversary and we very much enjoyed working with the Quality Improvement and Communication teams.
The eye-catching display in Milsom Street, part of B&NES Council’s Empty Shop Window project, reflects the changing face of nursing through the years. On show are five mannequins – Florence Nightingale, a WWI VAD, a nurse/midwife from the 1950s and two nurses/midwives wearing PPE. Also on display is a booklet provided by the Mary Seacole Trust, in recognition of the pioneering work of Mary Seacole, the Jamaican-born nurse who overcame racism and injustice and nursed soldiers during the Crimean war.
Artworks displayed behind the mannequins were created during this year’s pandemic, including a print by RUH staff nurse Hannah Gaisford titled ‘We Can Do It’.
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Reassuring messages can be found in opticians boards: ‘I See You’ by Ali Brown, mentioned earlier from Southmead Hospital. Butterfly Rainbow was generously donated to the RUH by Damien Hirst, who created the work to show support for the NHS in the coronavirus crisis. A limited edition of the work was produced with all profits donated to NHS Charities Together, raising a total of more than £1.5m.
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Lisa Cheek, Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the RUH, said: “I’m delighted we have been able to celebrate the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife with such an impressive display."
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