Creative participation

We provide creative activities to aid wellbeing, stimulate cognitive function and provide important tools for self-expression. Taking part in creative activities can also help patients to manage long-term conditions better, and cope with anxiety and depression.

These take place in both inpatient and outpatient departments, at patient bedsides and within the community.

 

Some current and previous projects include:

Creative Drawing Sessions for Staff

Our artist-in-residence Liz Atkin runs Creative Drawing workshops at both our hospital sites and for community staff. As well as sessions running after work, Liz also visits staff rooms on the wards so clinicians can have a creative break from their work.

The workshops aim to channel attention through simple yet inspiring drawing activities, designed to refocus anxiety and alleviate work-related stress.

 

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Wellbeing Garden

Our wellbeing garden at University Hospital Lewisham (UHL) is a site for numerous arts workshops as well as providing inspiration for other projects across the Trust.

Working closely with the RHS Community Development team we have developed a programme of arts activities for the garden space, including drawing workshops, live music performances, mosaic-making workshops and a staff photography competition inspired by the benefits that getting outdoors brings.

 

Inpatient 'creative activity packs'

We provide arts and crafts pack for inpatients to use, these contain all the materials needed to undertake some drawing, painting, colouring in and crafts. At the end of their hospital stay patients can take their creations home with them. This is couple of with creative iPad sessions where volunteers work with patients to use creative apps and games.

 

Singing for Lung Health 

Delivered in partnership with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, our Singing for Lung Health group was designed to help people living with lung conditions to manage feelings of breathlessness whilst taking part in a fun and social activity.

Research has proven that singing can help people with chronic lung conditions by improving a sense of control over the breath, improving posture and teaching you to breathe more slowly and deeply.

 

Victoria Rance, artist-in-residence

The ‘I Wish’ artist residency was led by local artist Victoria Rance, from APT Studios in Deptford. Victoria worked with patients, parents and carers on the children’s inpatients ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital who communicated their wishes to the artist. These were then realised as small sculptures and gifted back to the participants.

Photographs of the ‘wishes’ now traverse the corridor spaces between the children’s wards helping to connect these different departments.