Onward Arts is the ongoing arts programme for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. It grew out of the Trust’s Art Advisory Group formed in 1994, and now manages commissions and arts projects across the Trust.Onward Arts seek to improve the experience of patients, visitors and staff and create a healing hospital environment for all.
Passionate about arts and health, it delivers high quality, patient-centred arts projects in partnership with the communities the hospital serves and advocates the value of integrating art into the culture of the Trust.
CONNECT will act as a catalyst for further development of Onward Arts in three ways:
COMMUNITY ARTS ROOM
A dedicated space has been designed into the hospital where patients, staff and the wider community can take part in creative activities to support health and wellbeing.
Everybody can testify to the feel-good effects of participating in the arts whether it’s joining a book group, singing in a choir or watching live performance.
Participation in arts projects has also been shown to improve clinical outcomes in specific conditions, including dementia, respiratory problems and mental health issues.
Daniel Locke the commissioned artist for ‘Crucible’, taught workshop participants how to draw a comic strip about their experiences of BSUH. Image by Marguerite Minnot Thomas.
EXHIBITIONS
Specially designed exhibition spaces will be used by local artists, community and school groups, curated and managed by Onward Arts.
The exhibition programme will ensure that there is a lively backdrop of changing art throughout the year. Exhibitions will engage patients, visitors and staff, supporting them to notice and enjoy their surroundings and connecting them to life beyond the hospital.
ONWARD ARTS FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY AND WELLBEING
The festival will support the transition from the old hospitals to the new. It will be the culmination of several art projects that have taken place during the development of the new building and will involve a wider network of local partners, connecting the hospital with its communities and creating community at the heart of the hospital.
The Onward Arts Festival aims to:
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- Build sustainable partnerships between BSUH and its local communities
- Promote a sense of ownership and civic pride, both of the arts programme and the hospital itself
Comic book workshop led by Daniel Locke the commissioned artist for ‘Crucible’, a CONNECT Arts project celebrating the history and heritage of the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Image by Marguerite Minnot Thomas.
Onward Arts is the ongoing arts programme for the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. Find out more on our Partners page.
