Page 30 - ALG Issue 4 2018

Artists Corner
Art On the Plot
‘Growing on prescription’ Allotment Project, Art Commission Vale Community Hospital Dursley
When the new Vale Community Hospital
in Dursley, Gloucestershire was built in 2010-12 the Gloucestershire NHS fulfilled a longstanding policy to commission artists to beautify the hospital as an integrated part of the building programme. Those commissions were funded by Arts Council England. The local GP surgery, inspired
by pioneering Dr Simon Opher, was also referring patients to art classes to support their wellbeing.
Continuing this approach to NHS care, the poor land surrounding the hospital was then commissioned for a ‘gardening for health’ allotment project, one of the first in the UK.
It has 42 raised gardening beds (with more planned). 10 raised beds are ‘ring fenced’ for people referred by local GPs and Social Care providers for ‘growing on prescription’ to help improve patients’ health and wellbeing. Other plots are let to local residents relieving Dursley Town’s allotments waiting list. A
lively allotment community has developed. The plotholders volunteer, run events, and chat to fellow plotholders, helping to combat social isolation. The allotment project (and hospital grounds maintenance) is superbly managed by ‘Down to Earth’. http://www. downtoearthstroud.co.uk
ART ON THE PLOT
The allotment steering group agreed to commission an artist to work with plotholders, staff and locals to create an artwork at the entrance of the plots next to the hospital car park. Sculptor Natasha Houseago won an open competition for local artists.
Natasha selected a large piece of green oak, and installed it in strong foundations onsite in spring 2018. The design consists of carvings up the structure – celebratory images of the allotment gardeners’ vegetables & fruit, results of their work and wisdom. A carved owl sits at the top of the sculpture.
The artist did all the carving onsite, attracting a lot of attention. Patients arriving for appointments by bus or car, staff, and visitors can easily see the sculpture. Natasha noted: “I had regular visits from patients. One particular woman pushed her husband over each week in his wheelchair to see how the carving was progressing. They described it as a wonderful project and something for her husband to look forward to each week”.
Natasha also spoke regularly with a man who was waiting to see if he was still in remission from cancer. He said that it was
a great comfort at such a stressful time to
be able to come over and watch her carve, and to find out about the wood and her design. One couple said: “We have found the... allotment an amazing help for us and cannot thank Dr Yerbourgh enough for giving us [the] details when we were devastated by the news of Jim’s MS being confirmed. We have made some lovely friends... sharing other people’s stories and how they resolve problems and cope and meeting our special sculptor...”
Each week two ambulance men from Stroud parked their ambulance nearby and took photographs of the sculpture as it progressed. They said it “was fantastic”.
30