Our arts programme aims to infuse a human touch into healthcare, enhancing wellbeing through a variety of live and interactive events, commissioned works and exhibitions.

Our projects include traditional visual arts like painting and sculpture together with the external environment where our green spaces can be an oasis for those needing to escape from the busy hub of the main hospital environments.

We have a long-standing association with the arts and are lucky enough to have been the beneficiary of donated artworks from many renowned artists, which form our permanent collection.

The arts have the power to transform hospital spaces from merely acceptable to truly exceptional. Our mission is to create welcoming, positive, and inspiring environments that exceed expectations and significantly contribute to patient care. From the outset of each major project, we collaborate creatively with staff and patients to develop a tailored, site-specific Arts Strategy. This approach enables us to design healing, humanising spaces that are personal and meaningful to the communities who will use them in the future.

Objectives of our arts programme

• To offer access to and engagement with high-quality arts programs, enhancing our patients' quality of life.
• To assist patients with chronic conditions in managing their wellbeing more effectively.
• To enhance hospital environments for the benefit of patients, visitors, and staff.
• To promote staff wellbeing.
• To foster partnerships both within and outside the Trust.
• To ensure safety and high standards by training and supporting our artists to work in healthcare.

Our work is guided by these core values:

• Creativity
• Kindness
• Collaboration
• Quality

Our arts coordinator is Anoushka Duroe-Richards. 

Anoushka is dedicated to enhancing the healthcare environment for our patients, staff, and visitors through diverse visual and performing arts. Her role involves developing and implementing a dynamic, innovative, and engaging arts strategy to create a warm, welcoming, and uplifting atmosphere.

Key responsibilities include improving the hospital's built environment, offering a broad arts programme (including site-specific commissions, gardens, performing arts, and workshops), strategic and project-specific planning and management.

Funding the arts

All our projects are funded by grants from organisations and charitable donations, no money is taken from healthcare budgets. The raising of external funding is essential for our work and we are extremely grateful to all of those who provide financial assistance for our projects. Your support is invaluable.

Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity

Our Hospitals Charity supports several arts and environmental programmes that you can see on our project pages. Other projects include the installation of sky ceilings to provide a welcome distraction for patients during radiotherapy treatment for cancer, quiet rooms to provide a calming space for patients feeling anxious and garden areas to give patients and staff the space to rest and re-energise.