'Healing Arts' at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UHCW)

Healing Arts at UHCW, established 2009, supports patient recovery and wellbeing through the provision of a range of activities, including visual arts, music and bedside craft.

Our mission is to use ‘visual arts’ to support a patient’s journey from the front door, creating a welcoming and calming environment. We do this through bespoke commissions, the acquisition of a permanent artwork collection, and an extensive changing gallery space for our local community.

We also effectively use arts and music to support and encourage patients of all ages to engage in creative activities whilst in hospital, in an effort to help raise their confidence, promote wellbeing and reduce any feelings of isolation whilst in hospital.

Highlights

• In 2019 we exhibited over 200 pieces of art created by 60 local artists at University Hospital. Works celebrate the creativity of Coventry and Warwickshire, with new and established local artists, schools, community groups and creative organisations taking part. We even exhibit patient and staff artwork.
  
• The Art Room project is a collective programme of participatory arts, bringing a creative space to patient bedsides. Over 50 full day artist led sessions have been delivered over the past 12 months, inviting patients to take part in a creative workshop, such as felting, block printing and reminiscence.  
• Our Felt Happy project supports patients on Gerontology, Stroke Care, Trauma and Orthopaedics and Children’s wards.
  
• University Hospital also has an ‘Art Cart’, offering free creative art kits for patients in hospital, 1,000-1,500 packs are given out each year.
  
• Healing Sounds encompasses a range of music projects across the Trust, uplifting the mood of patients and staff and offering a platform for local emerging and established professional musicians and artists.
  
• Memory lane is a stunning collection of ceramic tiles depicting Coventry and Warwickshire through time. Inspired by patient’s own memories artist Matilda Morton has collected images and artefacts relating to industry, communities, the Blitz and sport.
  

We are always excited to explore new projects with local art organisations and groups who are passionate about using the arts to improve health and wellbeing, so do get in touch if you would like to submit ideas.

Tel: 02476 968338 (Internal 28338)
Email: healingarts@uhcw.nhs.uk 
www.facebook.com/artsuhcw