Volume 1

The art of good health : a practical handbook / NHS Estates.

  • Great Britain. National Health Service. Estates.
Date:
2002
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: The art of good health : a practical handbook / NHS Estates. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    authority arts officer or regional Arts Council officer, or from a specialist arts consultant. The brief will be sent direct to the artists on the shortlist. lf you choose to research a shortlist yourself, the national databases of artists, Axis, and The Crafts Council’s database of makers, which includes furniture designers, stained glass artists and textile artists, are good sources. There are also specialist databases of black and Asian artists such as the African and Asian Visual Artists Archive (Aavaa). Selecting an artist Arts projects in health settings can be very rewarding but also very complex, especially if they involve user participation and consultation. Each site and project will have its own requirements, and even the best-laid plans will change as the project progresses. When working with users, their needs must always come first and, of course, health and safety requirements must be recognised and met. The needs of the artist running the project will invariably come last. You need to make sure that you find artists who understand this and are able to leave their ego at the door. Modesty, the ability to communicate and a good sense of humour are important qualities in artists wishing to work in healthcare. You can make your own assessment of an artist’s work from a portfolio or slides. Their CV will also tell you about past projects, awards and training they have undergone. However, for them to work well in a health context, you will also be looking for other attributes alongside artistic excellence: e Previous health or community based experience: while not essential, this can be helpful, especially if the artist is required to work with staff and users, or if you are new to the process of working with artists work well with a project team, be able to share their vision, and enthuse and consult with users and staff, the artist will need excellent communication skills e Flexibility: the artists who work best in healthcare are highly adaptable and can react quickly to changing situations, think creatively and find solutions to obstacles as they arise e Caring and commitment: you might want to assess the artist’s motivation for the project. Are they committed to the project or just doing this until something better comes along? Do they have their feet firmly on the ground or are they overly idealistic about working in health? Interviews Having cast your net wide and put together a shortlist of artists, you will want to invite them to interview. As well as representatives from your organisation, you might include an experienced artist or arts professional on the interview panel. Asking the artist to present his or her work in the form of a short ten minute presentation will tell you a lot — not only about their work but also about their communication skills, their motivation and the way that they work.
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