Can art help cure sick children?

Added : ( Tue Aug 10 2004 )

Can art help cure sick children?

Lucy Richards and the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital art project


Lucy Richards, Scotland’s award winning graphic designer, is one of ten artists from across the country to be commissioned by PACE (public art consultancy) for one of the UK’s most ambitious hospital art projects at The Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (RACH), proving that art can go a long way in helping cure sick children.


Juliet Dean, Director of PACE explains:

“Artwork in children’s hospitals is nothing new, but it usually involves no more than a few coloured balloons, Walt Disney characters, or the odd picture pinned to a wall, and rarely does it appeal to ages beyond five. The RACH project was on an unprecedented scale, with art works designed to create a better environment for sick children, as well as parents and staff. I have no doubt that what we have created will have a positive impact on the healing process, by engaging the patients and raising morale in what can be a daunting environment.”

Finalist for Scottish designer of the year in 2004, Lucy Richards and her team were commissioned with one of the most ambitious projects, that would take over two years to complete and covered all corners of the hospital, from walls and floors to waiting rooms and toilets. Her brief was to create a range of contemporary designs that would be both interactive and informative, integrating with the architecture of the building and the other artworks, whilst being sympathetic to the hospital environment.

Lucy Richards comments:

“I was determined that my designs would appeal not only to children, but also staff and visitors to the hospital, inviting all age groups to engage and interact with them. Art in hospitals can be so predictable, so I wanted to create something that would continue to make an impression, and even raise a smile.”

Many of Lucy’s designs focused on visual and mental stimulation including:



·Intricate maize and circular floor designs, positioned outside lifts and in waiting areas for maximum impact.

·Medical ‘fun facts’ applied in Vinyl on walls – these were positioned in quirky locations, such as following corridor corners, around structural pillars and in toilets and showers, making the most of the unsung spaces

·In the radiology department, eye catching lenticular images were hung on walls, illustrating play and seaside objects and their x-ray equivalents


Lucy continues


“Part of the brief was to create designs that help educate the viewer, which is where the ‘fun facts’ came into play. A hospital environment can be a frightening and intimidating place, so the facts were designed to enlighten children and their parents in a fun and informative way.“

Where particular sensitivity was required such as in parent quiet rooms, Lucy created a series of panoramic landscape images of the local Grampian region. These were positioned near windows and along the walls to. give the impression of a place far from the hospital.


Lucy Richards continues:

“The sensitive areas were a real challenge to us, but I did not want to let this influence the quality or impact of the art. My landscapes were a simple but effective way to create that other worldly feeling, so parents are distracted, if only for a moment, from the stresses of their situation.”

But not all the works were purely asthetic. A critical part of the brief was to incorporate art into some of the more practical functions of the hospital, most notably the signage in and around the building. The aim was to add a creative touch without visually impairing the signs, so subtlety was key. To this end, Lucy Richards created a welcoming entrance sign using bold, coloured lettering to create a familiar and friendly environment for the children. Working in harmony with the NHS signs, Lucy also created a series of eye catching circular signs to landmark departments.

Finally, to acknowledge the thousands of donors and contributors to the projects Archie fund, Lucy created five intricate mosaics in the main reception areas, each containing hundreds of coloured tiles, personalised with the names of the fundraisers. To build on the interactive theme, and help contributors could locate their ‘tile’, a touch screen display was provided nearby.



-ENDS-

N.B Lucy Richards is available for comment if you require a first hand view on her involvement in the RACH project. For a wider perspective, including the involvement of some of the other artists, Juliet Dean, Director of PACE, will also be available for comment.

Please contact James Walter From Great Circle on 0131 225 4646 for all enquiries.





Submitted by: James Walter Add your press release for free.

Find out more.