Bringing Art to the bedside on Tamworth and Lichfield hospital wards
Patients being cared for at Sir Robert Peel Community Hospital in Tamworth and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital in Lichfield have been getting creative through our charity’s Air Arts programme.
We teamed up with artists Rachel Ballard and Anne Kinnaird from “Letting in the Light” to deliver a series of hands-on, uplifting art workshops across four wards which were delivered at the bedside to ensure full inclusion. These sessions were so successful they are continuing with a new weekly programme planned until October 2025.
Activities ranged from colourful acetate tracing and projection drawing, to felt making and printmaking. These sessions were tailored to the individual needs of the patient, ranging from gentle engagement through conversation and colour selection, to more hands-on artmaking where appropriate.
The artists shared:
“It completely changed the mood in the bays. Patients started chatting, asking for the TV to be turned off and the curtains pulled back”, said Rachel. Anne added, “The participants were engaged and wanted see one another’s work.”
Ward staff senior sister, Tina Luke also commented, “The patients really enjoyed the art sessions, they provided a welcome distraction and broke the day up as some days on the ward can become quite repetitive”. Tina continued, “Patients enjoyed updating their families on what they had made. It certainly had an impact on the patient experience during their inpatient stay.”
Bedside delivery ensured that all patients could observe and join as they wished. These activities led to the creation of 12 vibrant A2 artworks, felted keepsakes and printed bookmarks, many of which patients chose to gift to family members or friends. The artworks were also displayed on the wards, helping to brighten the clinical environment.
These workshops are just a few of many that are being delivered across seven hospital sites across Derby, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. In the 2024-25 financial year, a total of 7,373 patients took part in an art activity through our Air Arts programme as well as 5,285 members of staff.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of our supporters. If you’d like to help us to continue bringing creativity and comfort to our hospitals, visit our “Get Involved” page to see what you can do.
