A NEW artwork has been installed at the Alexandra Hospital, as part of a collaboration with Reimagine Redditch.
The piece, called WELCOME, came from visitors who said they struggled to locate the Alex’s entrance, while the hospital stressed the importance of enhancing the clinical environment.
The jointly funded project, alongside a grant from Arts Council England, involved staff from across the hospital and the local community to create the final welcoming design, reflecting on what their hospital meant to them.
The overarching aim of the project is to create a welcoming and attractive space, to enable people to feel less anxious on their arrival and to begin their hospital journey in a more positive mindset.
In partnership with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity and Arts in Redditch, Reimagine Redditch fundraised almost £30,000 from Arts Council England to commission an art installation for the entrance.
Neith Art and Sculpture – the artists commissioned to create the artwork – hosted creative workshops with participants, using the sessions to tell their stories of how they felt connected to the Alexandra Hospital.
Participants also used a printing method to design a symbol which reflected what the hospital meant to them. All the prints were collected and used as inspiration for the final artwork and some had even been engraved into the sculpture itself.
Hand prints and photos were also taken from every participant, with the images used to inspire the creation of the hands that form the sculpture making it fully reflective of the hospital’s community.
Mayor of Redditch, Coun Joanna Kane, attended the unveiling on Friday.
She thanked Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Arts in Redditch and everyone else involved in the project.
Richard Haynes, director of communications and engagement for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We want our hospitals to feel as welcoming and inclusive as possible for all our patients, visitors and staff.
“We know coming to hospital can be a stressful experience, so by taking a co-design approach with patients, visitors, staff and members of our local community, we aim to revitalise the main entrance to the Alexandra Hospital and make it a more welcoming space for everyone who uses the hospital.
“This is a really exciting project which we hope will bring people together to create a focal point at the entrance to the Alexandra that communicates a message of compassion and inclusivity, and which represents Redditch and the surrounding communities.”
