Visitors to a new event held at the Royal College of Physicians in London last month were asked to consider art’s role in improving the healthcare environment.
Yorkshire-based artist Dan Savage – who has provided a variety of artwork for recent mental healthcare projects including the new £50 m Hopewood Park mental healthcare facility in Ryhope, the Roker & Mowbray Dementia Centre in Sunderland, and the Ferndene Young People’s (CAMHS) Unit in Prudhoe, hosted an exhibition at the European Healthcare Design 2015 Congress & Exhibition on 22-23 June. Using a combination of poster based information and images of both his own and others’ artworks at the event – which was organised by Architects for Health and SALUS Global Knowledge Exchange – he presented his findings from research into academic papers on the subject, and offered recommendations on how art ‘can reduce anxiety, stress, and even pain’.
He said: “I believe blank walls in hospitals foster negative thoughts. Often the only adornments are confusing signs and posters about diseases. When I was 20, I was treated in hospital for testicular cancer, and I remember my own feelings ranged from fear and uncertainty, to boredom and gloominess, alongside the obvious physical manifestations of my condition.
“Creating art specifically for healthcare environments is an exciting area for development, combining the artist’s creative and imaginative skills with academic research studies, to create accessible art that can play a big role in the treatment pathway.”
Dan Savage’s projects to date have included the creation of glass panels, signage, seating, and wall-based artwork. Following his exhibition at European Healthcare Design 2015, further information on his recommendations will be available via a series of forthcoming ‘blogs’ on his website, (www.artstop.co.uk). An award winning artist working in the healthcare and public sectors in the UK, he added: “In each project, I collaborate extensively with service users, client teams, and architects, to provide artwork that is accessible, calming, and in harmony with the architectural design.”