The Goscote Palliative Care Centre is the first hospice development in the borough of Walsall. The hospice development has reached fruition with the creation of the  Wolverhampton City and Walsall LIFT project.

With funding from NHS Walsall and Arts Council England West Midlands a participatory arts project has been commissioned to lead on community engagement within the build process and resulting in the design and installation of bespoke pieces of public art work within the grounds and building of the centre.

The project partnership want to achieve a lasting legacy from the new Palliative Care Centre which will inspire others to fund the development of more creative activity in Palliative Care and Health generally.

This project is a part of the drive in Walsall to effect community and economic regeneration both in the built environment and in the hopes and aspirations of local people.

Arts workers Tim Ward (3D artist), Sasha Ward (Glass artist), Dominic Pote (2D artist) and Ming de Nasty (Documentary photographer) are working with Glen Buglass, Rachel Parker and Kerry Hodgkiss from Walsall Council Creative Development Team to lead on engaging communities in the project.

“The enthusiasm and commitment that the service users brought to this project was very humbling, particularly when many of them were, at times in quite poor health. This has reinforced why ‘getting it right’ was so important”.  Gill Grigg, Project Lead, NHS Walsall

The creative team engaged with local people to discover with them the rich history and social life of the area and begin the process of interpretation of their findings into artistic features inside and outside the new Palliative Care Centre.

Artistic features of the new centre are:

• An artwork centre piece for the  courtyard of the Palliative Care Centre. Visible from all sides of the building forming the heart of the building.  Soft, gentle and spiritually uplifting for all who use the centre.
• A sculpture and land art trail outside the building comprising a folly, a gazebo and a garden to walk in, think in, contemplate loved ones lives and remember them.
• New pieces of 2D art for display on the walls of the Palliative Care Centre – images generated as an output of the community consultation process and the creation of the central art feature and the land art works outside in the grounds.
• A stained glass window for the ‘sacred space’ a multi-faith multi-purpose area.  The design for which created in collaboration with members of the local community.

Look at the project blog for current updates on the prioject http://buglassg.wordpress.com/

The 4m high ‘Tree of Life’ sculpture is at the heart of the building within the main courtyard. Made from stainless steel with stained glass mobile heart leaves, LED lit and timber seating providing an uplifting place for reflection and a focal point for all that use the centre.

The 4m high stained glass window in the scared space reflects the textures and colours of natures changing seasons into a quiet place for contemplation.

A large photographic light box in the main reception area illuminates a peaceful image of a local nature reserve creating a visually enriching and welcoming environment, leading through to a series of large scale photographic images reflecting the places of people’s memories and associations with the local area.

A collection of framed photographs in the day hospice communal area, capture the essence and memories of service users and staff at the former hospice site.

“I was very influenced by them (staff and service users) and could not have got the results without all their help and enthusiasm” Dominic Pote (2D Artist)

Finally an archway and land art trail in the garden enhance the oasis of quiet and solitude, set in mature landscaped woodland leading people along a pathway to a timber summerhouse where people can sit and think, to take a breath of fresh air in the middle of the urban environment where the centre is located.

All of the pieces help create a sense of life, peace and tranquillity.

“Through the expert guidance provided by the Creative Development Team, the artists have worked very closely with all stakeholders to successfully turn our ideas into reality; the final products are better than I could ever have imagined.” Gill Grigg, Project Lead, NHS Walsall 

From the outset the arts project has forged a strong partnership between the Creative Development Team (CDT), artists, health commissioners and architects to see the vision for the integration of the art pieces and participatory art processes fully into the design process.

The project has nurtured and embraced the ethos that the new centre is not seen by the local populace as ‘a place where people die’, but rather a place where life is celebrated and embraced. This philosophy is resonant in the final art pieces.

Architects were actively involved in short listing and interviewing artists to work on the project with a wider steering group being involved in the short listing and creative planning meetings to share their aspirations and vision for the art works and central theme ‘celebrating life’.

Regular meetings between the artists, commissioners, CDT, architects and building contractors ensured a collective approach to realising the art work designs and the connection between art work and other key design features such as interior furnishing, landscaping and coloured glazing. This close dialogue also enabled the work to be installed on site successfully within the planned building schedule.

Each art piece uniquely enhances the building design and adds a sense of community spirit by creatively responding to people’s interpretations of the central theme ‘celebrating life’.

Project managed by Walsall Council Creative Development Team (Glen Buglass, Rachel Parker, Kerry Hodgkiss) in partnership with NHS Walsall (Mike Lyden, Gill Grigg).

Project funded by Arts Council England West Midlands, NHS Walsall and Wolverhampton City and Walsall LIFT project.

ADP Architects (Tom Gaskell, Sarah Newitt) and Ashley House PLC (Kim Wells)

Little Bloxwich Day Hospice (Tracy Grinnell, Sue Crabtree and the service users in particular the Friday group)

Commissioned artists (Tim Ward-2D sculpture artist, Sasha Ward- glass artist, Dominic Pote – 2D artist and photographer, Ming de Nasty- documentation photographer)

Main consultation groups- Edgar Stammers Primary School, Young People’s Information Centre Blakenall, Electric Place, Over 50’s Forum, Multi faith Forum.