Music Therapy

A state registered professional Music Therapist visits children in the hospital 3 times a week to interact with the children and provide them with a creative outlet for the many different feelings that children experience whilst they are in the hospital. It also provides an enjoyable diversion from the invasive procedures and treatments the child faces each day.

Adolescent Ward

18 TVs with built in DVD players were purchased for the adolescents on this ward for entertainment whilst being treated for their illnesses. Also, 7 chairs were purchased for the comfort of parents who are staying at their child’s bedside whilst on the ward.

Arts Programme

Hi, I’m Ruth Jacobs the Arts Coordinator at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. The Grand Appeal funds the entire Arts Programme, including my part time salary. The aim of the Arts Programme is to enhance the healing environment for the benefit of children, families and staff, by helping to create a welcoming and positive culture that inspires, reassures, and invites participation.

There are three main strands to the programme:

• Artists’ performances and artist-led participatory workshops, creative play sessions and artists residencies at various locations around the Hospital. Many art forms are included such as painting, photography and other visual arts; music technology and musical performances; drama, comedy and storytelling; ceramics and jewellery making, paper making, puppetry, and much more.
• The exhibition programme includes regularly changing visual art work that is professionally framed and often focuses on community groups and schools in order to encourage local talent.
• Purchasing and commissioning permanent new art works that will enhance the environment on a long term basis – also maintaining and servicing the existing art installations and features that have become an integral part of hospital life.

I work closely with Play staff, the Young Peoples’ Involvement Worker, and Teachers, and we aim to involve staff and children in all areas of the Hospital. Artists often work bed to bed so that children who cannot get out of bed or mix with others can be included. Examples of recent and current participatory projects include:

Trees for Life – a series of workshops led by Isabelle Byrne, where children paint large wooden tree and leaf shapes in autumnal colours. These will eventually create a permanent new art work for the corridor on Level 3, by Outpatients, which will give the impression of walking through a beautiful forest.

Bristol Storytelling Festival – came to the Children’s Hospital in Feb 2010, with a different storyteller every day for a week. Children also made up their own stories. A beautifully decorated Story Box can be found in Outpatients, for you to help yourselves to a story from the Storytelling Festival to read.

Treasure our Earth! – Drama workshops every Weds morning in the School Room, with Eileen Haste. A colourful story book written and illustrated by children who have participated in Eileen’s workshops is available free from Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal.