Laura Waters – Head of Arts
As Head of Arts, Laura is responsible for the overall strategy of the arts programme, planning the route and motivating the team to help us reach our goals.
Laura co-chairs the National Performance Advisory Group (NPAG) for Art, Heritage and Design in hospitals representing Air Arts and the NPAG group at conferences and events, and advocating for arts in health at a national level. Laura is also a professional musician, performing in concerts, music theatre and special events around the country.
Emma Bailey – Artist & Heritage Officer
Emma is a resident visual artist and the Air Arts Heritage Officer. Emma’s role is to use creativity to enhance the visual experience of patient, staff and visitors, to improve their wellbeing and the hospital environment. Emma is the Project Officer for the UHDB Medical Museum, a HLF funded project which aims to both care for the Trust’s history and to use it as both a healing and learning resource for hospital audiences. She is responsible for building links with heritage organisations to open up new wellbeing and artistic opportunities for staff.
Emma has used her drawing and heritage skills on a number of mural projects including her partnership with the National Trust on the ‘Forget Me Not’ staff memorial garden and the forthcoming new murals for the ICU ‘Patient Experience Garden’ which were unveiled by HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
Kate Stoppard – Visual Arts Manager
As Visual Arts Manager, Kate curates and delivers our biannual exhibitions, along with bespoke visual enhancement projects across all 5 sites of UHDB. Her role manages and oversees the installation of over 100 new works every six months within the hospital. Kate aims to cultivate a supporting environment for local and national artists, to create a calming and inviting visual environment for patients, staff and visitors.
Kate’s background is visual theatre and she loves the challenge of creating narrative through the curation of the exhibitions and permanent works and developing the connection between the artwork and its audience.
Matt Roberts – Arts and Wellbeing Communications Officer
As Comms Manager Matt aims to bring the incredible work of Air Arts to as many eyes as possible; both internally and externally. This includes ensuring our staff are aware of the resources and opportunities we have available for both themselves and their patients and to make the public aware of the amazing work we do. Matt is in charge of the Air Arts social media and through his skills in photography, videography and illustration he aims to make our content as engaging as possible.
Matt is also a professional musician and the hospitals resident illustrator. He is involved in a great number of projects as an artist in these capacities. Most recently Matt has begun teaching staff at UHDB how to illustrate at his Wellbeing Class; “Doodle Club”.
Rosie Rutherford – Music Coordinator
Rosie coordinates the music programme across the Derby sites, developing the staff voice project and running the staff voice choir.
Rosie promotes and facilitates music across our hospitals through our welcome performance programme, with music in our public areas and canteens, and our engage programme, which is music in more patient and staff facing capacities. She also works as a professional musician, and delivers music for the Air Arts programme.
Eleanor Babb – Arts Coordinator (Burton, Tamworth & Lichfield)
Eleanor is the hospitals arts coordinator for Burton, Tamworth and Lichfield. Her job is to improve the hospital experience for patients, visitors and staff by enhancing the environment with artwork, exhibitions and installations, providing high-quality creative opportunities for people to participate in artist-led projects and enjoy live music. Eleanor works closely with estates and community partners and the Air Arts team.
Andrea Haley – Arts Co-ordinator/Patient Participation
Andrea is the Arts Coordinator with a focus on Patient participation. Her main role is to manage and coordinate patient focused arts projects that support patient health and wellbeing and aid the road to rehabilitation and recovery. Andrea also support staff to connect with patients through creative ideas.
As a community dance artist and dance movement therapist for twelve years Andrea has worked on large scale national projects and local projects, specialising in dance with older people, dementia, parkinsons and end of life. She has delivered training in dance with older people to various NHS trusts and dance organisations as well as movement projects across Derby & Burton Hospitals and delivered dance movement therapy training for dementia key workers.