Exhibition of work by Bradford children opens in BRI hospital corridors (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Exhibition of work by Bradford children opens in BRI hospital corridors

10:20am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Bradford By Claire Lomax

An art gallery exhibition for the benefit of patients, visitors and staff has been unveiled at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The work has been created by school children for the British Heart Foundation’s 50th anniversary appeal theme of Mending Broken Hearts and is in corridors outside wards 11 and 29.

David Richardson, chairman of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 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.”

Sian Hodson, an artist employed by Dixons Allerton Academy, has curated the exhibition which involved contributions by ten Bradford schools whose pupils are aged between six and 18.

Sian said: “The response by 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.”

Schools that took part are: St Anthony’s Catholic Primary; St Philips Primary; Keelham Primary; Saint Josephs Catholic College; Appleton Academy; All Saints CE Primary; Southmere Primary; Thornton Grammar; Eldwick Primary and Dixons Allerton Academy.