EAST LOTHIAN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Round Table Projects worked with representatives from NHS Lothian, the Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation and the community, in implementing an holistic art and environment strategy to support a patient-centred approach to care within and outside the building itself.

Therapeutic art and design projects for the site used the environment of East Lothian as overarching creative stimulus in the realisation of a building and grounds steeped in creativity, focused not only on physical health, but also on psychological and emotional wellbeing.  Into this broad theme a range of uplifting sub-themes were woven to tell local stories, probe the interplay of art, science and nature, explore the landscapes of East Lothian and celebrate its diverse rural heritage.

MEET THE ARTISTS

Patients, staff and members of the community in East Lothian participated in selecting artists for a range of commissions designed to flood the hospital with artworks working to inspire, intrigue and comfort people spending time in the building. Our small team of artists were selected for the quality of their work, their proposed approach to our commissioning opportunities, and their proven commitment to meaningful community engagement. Here are the results…

ATRIUM SCULPTURE

NEON

Mark Nixon and Viliina Koivisto of NEON, have worked with local children to develop a visually striking permanent sculptural work inspired by the legacy of John Muir for installation in the main concourse of East Lothian Community Hospital. This gently mobile work will enliven the atrium and subvert the clinical feel of the hospital, providing a playful and thought-provoking focal point for staff, patients and visitors.

SANCTUARY

LINDSAY PERTH

Artist Lindsay Perth has created a whole-environment artwork for the Sanctuary within East Lothian Community Hospital where people will be afforded space for ‘time out’, and provided with contemplative creative focal points that offer comfort and peace in moments of emotional intensity.

COURTYARD SCULPTURES

JULIANA CAPES

Edinburgh-based artist Juliana Capes will work with local communities to develop inspiring artworks inspired by the interplay of art, science and nature for permanent installation within internal courtyard spaces in the Outpatient Department of East Lothian Community Hospital.

ANALOGUE PHOTOGRAPHY

Katie Fowlie

Katie Fowlie has been exploring forests along the East Lothian coastline to create lumens and hand-developed analogue photographs for display in the mental health inpatient ward, as well as public circulation areas of the new hospital.

FOREST BATHING

BESPOKE ATELIER

Yvonne Elliot-Kellighan of Bespoke Atelier is working to develop surface decoration on walls and internal windows in the mental health ward, the palliative care ward and public circulation areas at ELCH.

A PORTRAIT OF EAST LOTHIAN

CROFTS & KOWALCZYK

Photographers Simon Crofts and Sylwia Kowalczyk are working to create an intriguing series of multi-layered, large-scale artworks that tell local stories and explore the urban, coastal and agricultural landscapes of East Lothian in a series of large-scale non-conventional portraits of the region.

A PORTRAIT OF EAST LOTHIAN (PALLIATIVE CARE)

NATALIE FEATHER

Artist Natalie Feather has been asked to work with staff, patients and families to develop sensitive new photographic works for the palliative care ward at ELCH.

FABRIC DESIGN

ZUZANA KERDOVA

Designer Zuzana Kerdova will create a bespoke fabric design for use on dignity screens and soft furnishings throughout the building.

SCULPTURE IN THE GROUNDS

KENNY HUNTER

Kenny Hunter is developing a series of new bronze works that observe and reference the unique heritage and stories of East Lothian, through animals and their stories and symbolism in the heritage of East Lothian.

SCULPTURE IN THE GROUNDS

ALEX ALLAN

Sculptor Alex Allan will collaborate with Kenny Hunter to realise a suite of artworks within the grounds of ELCH.  Allan's sculptural interventions will invite people to navigate a series of physical structures, encouraging movement and therapeutic use of the outdoor space.

A PORTRAIT OF EAST LOTHIAN (OLD TO NEW)

ALICIA BRUCE

Alicia Bruce has worked with staff and patients to research and create an original series of photographic artworks that explore the transformation in healthcare provision that is currently taking place within the region as longstanding hospital buildings are vacated and new ones are created and occupied.

YOUR OWN FRONT DOOR RESIDENCY

FIONA HERMSE

Your Own Front Door will explore personalisation of space through material approaches. As part of the research stage for a larger interior design project maker Fiona Hermse is spending a day per week over six months exploring craft with inpatients and outpatients in Herdmanflat Hospital. This project is being delivered in partnership with Craft Scotland.

WARD IDENTITIES

COLIN WILL

Each ward will be given a new name and distinct visual identity to assist with way finding and to celebrate the beginning of a new era in East Lothian healthcare. Dunbar-based poet Colin Will has been commissioned to work with staff to explore thematic approaches and identify a suite of ward names for the new hospital.

AMBIENT SOUNDSCAPES

PIPPA MURPHY

Sound has the power to unlock memories and feelings; to mentally “transport‟ people and to inspire in a variety of intriguing ways. Importantly, the neurochemical impacts of music can also include the easing of pain, confusion and distress, Award-winning composer Pippa Murphy will collaborate with musicians, staff and patients to create new works for ELCH.