Shaping a care-centred vision for Midland Metropolitan University Hospital's gallery and building a foundation for ongoing partnership and future programming.

The Art of Care was a collaborative programme led by CVAN WM, in partnership with DASH and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, exploring how visual arts can contribute to the experience of care, recovery and community within the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH).

The programme brought together artists, arts workers, cultural organisations and others with relevant experience from across the West Midlands to explore the opportunities and responsibilities of developing visual arts programming within a hospital setting. Across three sessions, participants considered how the gallery could support meaningful, inclusive and ambitious engagement with the hospital's diverse communities.

The programme resulted in a collaboratively developed action plan to inform and frame the gallery's future visual arts programming. It established a baseline of shared thinking, priorities and relationships that can support the ongoing development of MMUH's cultural offer, as well as CVAN WM and DASH's continuing partnership with Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

Developing a foundation for long-term change

The Art of Care was designed to support the development of a gallery programme that responds to the specific context of a hospital, while creating space to consider how artistic ambition, care, access and community engagement can work together.

Through conversations and shared learning, the programme explored approaches including residencies, pop-up workshops, community-driven practice, ethical funding models and long-term sustainability. These discussions helped identify potential directions for the gallery and informed the action plan for its future programming.

The programme provides a foundation for ongoing partnership development, future funding bids and continued work towards meaningful change in how visual arts can be integrated into the hospital environment. By building relationships and establishing shared priorities, CVAN WM and DASH can continue working with the NHS Trust to develop ambitious, relevant and enduring programming for MMUH's unique gallery space.

What did The Art of Care involve?

The programme took place across three sessions, each exploring a different aspect of developing the gallery's future:

• Understanding the space and its potential: Exploring MMUH's flexible gallery structure, community garden and the opportunities for cultural engagement within the hospital.
• Curating art in healthcare environments: Sharing experiences of meaningful projects with service users and communities in healthcare settings, including community-driven artistic practice.
• Developing a future programme: Exploring inclusive and engaging approaches to curating within the hospital context, alongside questions of artistic ambition, ethical funding and long-term sustainability.

Continuing the partnership

The Art of Care is part of CVAN WM and DASH's ongoing relationship with Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

The programme has helped establish a foundation for future conversations and collaboration around MMUH's gallery, including the development of programming, funding opportunities and approaches to long-term cultural change.

We look forward to continuing this work with our partners to support an ambitious, relevant and enduring visual arts offer at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.

Read updates on The Art of Care on the CVAN WM News page. You can (re)watch presentations and discussions from past sessions here.