OutPost Arts have been working closely with Art in Healthcare (Scotland) – a charity working across Scotland to improve health and wellbeing for individuals and communities through opportunities to experience and engage with high-quality visual art, artists and creativity, particularly within community, health and social care settings.
Art in Healthcare manages a large collection of modern and contemporary, predominantly Scottish, art. The collection is unique in Scotland because it has been carefully curated with care and wellbeing at its heart, bringing artworks into spaces where they can support comfort, reflection and connection.
Working in partnership with organisations across the country, Art in Healthcare creates curated exhibitions and installations that can be experienced by patients, visitors and staff alike. OutPost Arts were delighted to become one such partner through a recent project at the Innistaigh Community Mental Health Services hub in Stranraer.
The project focused on enhancing a corridor and consultation space used to support adults dealing with addiction. Having recently been renovated, the area offered a blank canvas with the potential to become a more welcoming, calming and uplifting environment.
Art in Healthcare’s Collection and Exhibitions Lead, Margaret McCormick, worked closely with OutPost Arts’ Creative Health & Wellbeing Director and Service Manager, Lisa Stanley, to carefully select artworks that would complement both the environment and the needs of the people using the space.
Margaret said: “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with the staff at Innistaigh and the OutPost Arts team to place a selection of artworks from our collection. It was wonderful to select the works together and then see the impact they had in transforming the spaces. In particular, we were able to display a beautiful large-scale painting on canvas that truly transformed the area outside the counselling rooms. It is so rewarding for our artworks to be out of our collection store and out in the world, transforming spaces. We really look forward to having the opportunity to work together again in the future.”
Alongside the new artworks, the project budget also supported the framing of an existing woodland artwork that had previously been displayed unframed within the space, as well as the purchase of a new clock chosen to complement the artwork installation.
Importantly, the woodland piece already held a special connection for staff and is believed to have been created by a former service-user, adding an additional layer of meaning and personal history to the environment.
The artworks now do far more than decorate the walls. Together, they help create a welcoming and therapeutic atmosphere that supports both staff and service-users to feel safe, relaxed and valued.
Lisa Stanley, Wigtownshire Team Leader and NHS Specialist Drug and Alcohol Service, said: “The artwork within Innistaigh has had a really positive impact on both patients and staff, helping to create a more welcoming and calming environment throughout the space. Patients often comment on the pieces, noting how they brighten the corridor and make the hub feel less clinical. The displays also provide a talking point, helping to build connections and encourage engagement.”
You can find out more about Art in Healthcare here:
- Website: Art in Healthcare
- Instagram: @artinhealthcare
- Facebook: Art in Healthcare Charity