Bradford Teaching Hospitals has unveiled a new art gallery exhibition for the benefit of patients, visitors and staff.
 
The Foundation Trust will host the artwork, which has been created by local schoolchildren for the British Heart Foundation’s 50th anniversary appeal theme of ‘Mending Broken Hearts,’ in corridors outside wards 11 (female surgical) and 29 (elderly care).

Foundation Trust Chairman, David Richardson, said: “This art gallery has helped bring interest, warmth and colour to a clinical environment which might otherwise appear cold and sterile.

“Research has shown that art can have a positive effect on patients in helping to reduce sickness, anxiety and stress, improving treatment outcomes and increasing the well-being of not just patients but staff and the general public.

“The children’s artwork is brilliant and we are extremely pleased that it has formed the first ‘community art exhibit’ on display at the Bradford Royal Infirmary.”

It is intended that the artwork in these spaces will change regularly.

Sian Hodson, an artist employed by Dixons Allerton Academy, curated the exhibition which involved contributions from 10 Bradford schools whose pupils are aged between 6 and 18 years. 

Sian said: “The response from Bradford schools invited to take part in this project has been fantastic, and the range of artworks produced of such variety and to a very high standard. I am thrilled that patients and visitors to the hospital will be able to enjoy the children’s work, they have really embraced the subject ‘mending broken hearts’ and done themselves and the British Heart Foundation proud.

“As an artist working within a science and health specialism school, working on cross curricular projects is vitally important. Dixons Allerton Academy puts great importance on working on collaborative projects with other schools and making links within our local community.”

The Foundation Trust’s Board of Governors were involved in helping put together this first exhibition of community art as part of their children and young people’s engagement strategy which aims to encourage local youths to become more involved in the city’s hospitals.

During their visit the schoolchildren also got the chance to visit the BRI’s new state-of-the- art simulation centre and view interactive cardiology exhibits in Field House’s education department.
 
The schools that took part in the exhibition are:

• St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School
• St Philips Primary School
• Keelham Primary School
• Saint Josephs Catholic College
• Appleton Academy
• All Saints CE Primary School
• Southmere Primary School
• Thornton Grammar School
• Eldwick Primary School
• Dixons Allerton Academy