Open Call: Hospital Art Trolleys, The Art Trolley – Artist in Residence

Introduction

An audio version, and a download, of this open call is available at the bottom of the page.

Newcastle Hospitals Charity Arts Programme is developing a range of new Hospital Arts Trolleys to support the facilitation of creative participatory and engagement activities for patients across Newcastle Hospitals.

We are seeking an Artist in Residence to work alongside patients and staff to develop a new Art Trolley, and lead on an artist-led engagement programme across Newcastle hospital wards (at RVI and the Freeman Hospital) over the course of 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape a permanent engagement tool for Newcastle Hospitals Charity (NHC) arts participation programme, for an artist whose practice is centred around collaborating with and engaging diverse groups of people and communities in their work.

Key Information

Residency dates: Winter 2024/25 – Spring 2026
Artist fee: £10,216.98
Materials budget: £7,300
Time commitment: 26.5 days
Deadline for application: Monday 2nd September, 11am
Interviews: Tuesday 17th – Wednesday 18th September
Residency information event: Tuesday 13th August, 6pm (online)

Brief

The Art Trolley will be used to deliver regular visual arts, craft, making and wellbeing activities across a range of hospital departments and wards, engaging various patient groups who have multiple needs. The Trolley will help create a joyful and stimulating experience on our wards, acting as a distraction from treatment and pain, while encouraging creativity and promoting patient wellbeing.

We’re looking for an Artist in Residence to take the lead on collaboratively developing a new Art Trolley for the hospital environment through a process of bespoke engagement; The Art Trolley will be developed in collaboration with staff and patients providing opportunities for users to input into the design and function, and ensuring patient need and accessibility is embedded in the design process.

The artist will work closely with an appointed fabricator to develop the trolley design using feedback from patients and staff.

The artist will go onto devise and deliver a regular programme of creative engagement activities utilising the trolley and its materials. This programme will be delivered on various wards for multiple patient groups from Spring 2025 – Spring 2026. These sessions may take place at bedsides, in day rooms and may be carried out on a one-to-one basis or in groups, with both one-off and/or repeated engagement. A flexible approach to engagement is required.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

Phase 1: Initial Engagement & Trolley design period (2024-25)

Carry out initial research and development into art trolleys and engagement approaches for health care settings.
Devise and deliver engagement session with various patient groups and staff to support the co-development/co-design of the trolleys and/or consult on the design, usability, function and materials/equipment through a series of creative sessions.
Work with NHC staff and fabricators to design the final trolley, incorporating feedback from patients and staff.
Produce a trolley design that is eye-catching, creative and engaging; can store, showcase and transport multiple materials, equipment and resources around the hospital; be suitable for multiple participant groups (inc. adults, children and young people); be useable by other facilitators and staff for cross programme purposes; be able to deliver a wide range of creative engagement sessions; and be compliant with infection prevention control measures within the hospital.
Plan expenditure of the materials budget in consultation with NHC staff based on the engagement and residency plan (the budget will be directly managed by NHC staff and purchases made through NHS procurement systems).
Liaise with the NHC Communications team to provide content for website and social media platforms.
Undertake mandatory trust training as required.

Phase 2: Delivery of Trolley Engagement Programme (2025-26)

Devise and deliver a regular creative engagement programme (2sessions per month) that utilises the trolley, to take place across various hospital wards based on promoting patient wellbeing and creativity. Participants will be identified through an ongoing referrals process and may change for each session, a flexible approach is required i.e. one-to-one sessions at bedside, group sessions in day rooms, one-off and repeated patient engagement.
Explore the impact of arts participation on physical and mental health, wellbeing and health inequality outcomes.
Ensure sensitivity and care is built into the programme, and that sessions are responsive to participants individual needs, backgrounds and skills level.
Monitor trolley material stocks and liaise with NHC staff to restock.
To work closely with the NHC Arts team to collect quantitative and qualitative data from participants to support evaluation of the programme, and to collect different forms of documentation where possible i.e. photos and artworks produced during sessions.
Ensure that health and safety, infection prevention, safeguarding and equality & diversity policies and procedures are adhered to.
To input into a final evaluation report, and provide ongoing feedback and monitoring on engagement sessions.

Artist Fee & Budget

Phase 1: Initial Engagement & Trolley design period (2024-25)

Artist Fee: £4,115.46 (Breakdown: Training – 2.5 days, R&D/Meetings – 3 days, Design – 5 days, Engagement – 6 x 1/2 day sessions)
Materials Budget: £6,300

Phase 2: Delivery of Trolley Engagement Programme (2025-26)

Artist Fee: £6,101.52 (Breakdown: Planning/Meetings – 4 days, Engagement – 24 x 1/2 day sessions)
Materials Budget: £1,000

Fees have been calculated using guidance from Artist Union England.

The materials budget will be managed by Newcastle Hospitals Charity, in consultation with the artist.

A payment schedule will be agreed with the successful applicant after appointment.

Proposed Timeline

Summer 2024	Application process
Autumn 2024	Interviews Appointment and HR checks
Winter 2024/25	Training – 2.5 days R&D – 3 days Initial co-design engagement sessions – 6 x half days Design and Fabrication – 5 days
Spring 2025 – Spring 2026	Deliver trolley engagement programme – 4 days planning, 24 x half days (2 half days per month)

Please note timelines are subject to change.

Person Specification

Essential:

Interest in working in the areas of creative health and arts & wellbeing.
A belief that arts and creativity can have positive impacts on health, wellbeing and change lives.
Experience in developing and delivering participatory activities, projects and/or workshops.
Experience of collaborating with and engaging diverse groups of people and communities in your work.
The ability to think and plan creatively and strategically.
A collaborative and flexible approach.
Excellent communication skills, organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Excellent empathy and listening skills.
Have availability during weekdays (Mon-Fri) to deliver sessions and attend meetings.
Willingness to be DBS checked and undertake relevant employment checks.

Desirable:

Experience of working with or liaising with external contractors such as fabricators, technicians and/or designers.
Experience of managing budgets.
Experience of working within a health or care setting.
Knowledge and understanding of current creative health engagement practices.
Awareness of issues around access; safeguarding and working with vulnerable people; Health and Safety; Infection prevention control; and Equality, diversity and inclusion.

Collectives or role shares are welcome to apply but please note that the available financial resources remain the same and must be shared by the applicants.

How to apply

To apply please complete the online application form

Online application form

You will need to include:

Up to date artist CV
Cover letter (2 x A4 pages) including:
- Proposal outlining how you would approach the residency.
- How your artistic practice aligns with the role/person specification, highlighting any relevant previous experience and projects.
Up to 5 direct links of images, audio, videos of previous relevant work and projects.
Indication of your availability.

Alternative Format

The online form has the option to send your application in alternative formats (e.g. video or audio). If you need any additional support with submitting your application please contact the Arts Team on [email protected]

Deadline for applications

Monday 2nd September, 11am.

Interview & auditions

Will be held on: Tuesday 17th – Wednesday 18th September.

Online Information Event

Tuesday 13th August, 6pm.

Join us for an online information session and chance to ask any questions about the residency role with Newcastle Hospitals Charity Arts Team. If you would like to attend the information session, please email the Arts Team on [email protected] to sign up.

Shortlisting process

Shortlisting will be undertaken by Katie Newell (Arts Programme Manager), Charlie Gregory (Arts Curator, Participation Programmes) and Matt Jones (Arts Officer, Live Participation Programmes).

Shortlisting criteria will include:

Ideas (application and interview).
Experience – can be transferable (application and interview).
Artistic practice, skill, style and identity (application and interview).
Arts/music knowledge (application and interview).
Arts facilitation/engagement experience (application and interview).
Knowledge of and commitment to benefits of Creative Health (application and interview).
Experience of Creative Health/Arts and Health and/or adaptability of practice to health care environment (application and interview).

Applicants who have been selected for interview will be contacted w/b 9th September. Please note due to the high volume of applications, we regrettably cannot provide feedback to individual applicants.

About Newcastle Hospitals Charity

Newcastle Hospitals Charity is the official charity for Newcastle Hospitals, one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the UK with two of the world’s best hospitals, providing healthcare to communities across the North East. Hospitals includes the Royal Victoria Infirmary, the Freeman Hospital, the Great North Children’s Hospital, the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Newcastle Dental Hospitals, Northern Genetics Service and many community services.

We go further for our hospitals to help deliver global excellence and local impact providing support for compassionate and innovative healthcare, education, and research including some of the best centres for children, heart and lung transplantation, genetics and cancer trials in the world.

We work in partnership with Newcastle Hospitals to complement the world-class healthcare services provided here and we proudly support patients, staff, and the wider hospital community by funding a range of initiatives – from cutting-edge cancer research to staff psychological support and vital improvements to the patient experience and environment.

Newcastle Hospitals Charity runs a creative arts programme that aims to enhance the wellbeing and recovery of patients and staff across Newcastle Hospitals. Our arts programme includes a range of initiatives to help engage patients and communities in the work of the hospitals and support the mental health and wellbeing of NHS staff.

Open call alternative formats

You can download all of this information as a Microsoft Word document by clicking on the download button, or listen to an audio version of the application using the audio players below.

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