Work of young artists from Cheadle Hulme to go on display at the NIHR / Wellcome Trust Manchester Clinical Research Facility

Artistic talent of students at Cheadle Hulme School will be seen on the walls of the NIHR / Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital as part of a specially commissioned design project.

The artwork, created by the School’s Sixth Form volunteers, will be themed on the five senses and will be incorporated into an imaginative refurbishment of the NIHR / Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. The refurbishment of the facility is being generously funded by Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity.

Fitting their artwork into unusual shapes as part of the design brief, the students’ designs will become part of a jewel-like trail of elements for visitors to follow and discover, representing sight, smell, taste, sound and feel across five rooms including a playroom, treatment room and chill out area.

Rob Vale from Lime Arts visited the students to check on their progress and offer advice on the creative process in bringing their artwork to life. Rob looks after artistic projects across the NHS and is overseeing the redesign of the facility. He said:

The idea behind the artwork is that it gives a real identify and connection between patients, staff and their environment in the hospital. The students could see that it was about every aspect of the rooms we’re developing, rather than individual pictures on the walls. It’s great to see how well the students are getting on, and using their imagination in different ways to bring individual elements to what is currently a blank canvas.

They discussed how to make their designs work for a multifunctional area, and talked about choosing shapes and colour schemes to suit the location. The students were also shown a digital blueprint of how the designs would look upon completion.

Project co-ordinator at Cheadle Hulme School, Ms Sarah Madden said:

This is a fantastic opportunity for the students to explore the importance of art and design in a real life setting and to be commissioned to have their artwork displayed within the ward. They have really had to think about the individuals who will be seeing their work and how to match their ideas to fit in within the design brief.

It is expected that the artwork will be on display in the hospital by the autumn.