The Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) has a long history of valuing the arts and their importance to patients and staff. There are artworks in many buildings throughout the Trust’s two main hospitals, along with good design in new buildings; a staff choir; thoughtful colour schemes and sensitive outdoor planting. We know that art uplifts, inspires and brings people together. It is a vital part of our healing work.
HUTH wants to harness the full benefits that arts and creative approaches offer to support patient, visitor and staff wellbeing. In the last five years, the Trust has worked with Elaine Burke, arts and health specialist, to develop an ambitious and wide ranging arts in hospital strategy. We launched Flourish – creative ways to heal and feel better, HUTH’s hospital arts strategy, at a regional arts and health event in Hull, in June 2018.
Our vision is to enrich our patients, visitors, staff, environments and organisation with great visual design, creativity and arts approaches throughout our hospitals.
We focus on:
- The arts in our health environments – creative and artistic ways to uplift our hospital places and spaces: wards, waiting rooms, corridors, gardens and treatment rooms. The Organ Donation artwork is a key part of this ongoing programme.
- Projects for people – working with artists and culture partners on creative projects for patients and visitors throughout our hospitals.
- Supporting our organisation – nurturing our staff, supporting our training programmes and reaching out to communities.
- Making our vision real – providing the leadership, structures and support needed to grow and sustain flourishing hospital arts programmes into the future.
Photography by Neil Holmes.
OPPORTUNITY: Concept development - Organ Donation Sculpture or Installation, Hull Royal Infirmary
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) wants to work with the right artist or artist team to, at this first stage, develop an inspiring concept for an ambitious public artwork that will highlight organ donation.
We want to celebrate those whose lives have been renewed by donated organs; remember and thank those donors and families who gave this gift; and offer a place of inspiration to encourage more people to become donors.
This first phase – to develop the artwork concept – is a callout to interested artists, and we will work with three shortlisted artists to arrive at one chosen concept for the artwork. We will then fundraise for the artwork and, once funding is secured, a second phase will follow, when we will commission the chosen artist to produce and install the artwork at Hull Royal Infirmary.
This sensitive sculpture or installation will provide a beautiful place to be – an oasis – a place to contemplate, accept, find peace, mourn, remember, give thanks, be inspired and uplifted. The artwork will reach out with humanity and care, and refresh with energy and life.
Fee: £1500: shortlisted artist stipend to develop artistic concept. This includes fees for concept development and materials for maquette (if producing one).
£150 max: additional contribution to shortlisted artists towards travel expenses can be awarded for an initial site visit at Hull Royal Infirmary.
£150 max: shortlisted artist presentation of final concept can be delivered online or in person. Additional contribution towards travel expenses can be awarded for in-person presentation.
Where: Outside Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull
When: Notification of chosen artists in mid-August 2023. Phase 1 concludes by end of November 2023.
Who: Individual artist or artist team
Reporting to: Elaine Burke, arts and health consultant, on behalf of project steering team
Closing date for applications: 9.00am, Monday 31st July 2023
