Scotland’s first new specifically designed non-denominational hospital Sanctuary was devised to develop an inclusive approach to spiritual care. In the context of a wider programme of arts-led initiatives within the hospital, the space and commissioning process provides a platform for an exploration about art and its role within the healthcare environment.
Over a two-year period Donald Urquhart worked in collaboration with the Chaplaincy team, Consort Healthcare, staff, Ginkgo Projects, the Hospital Arts Committee and across the City’s faith communities to create a space for the hospital’s patients, staff and visitors.
As in all complex projects the road is not always straight and easy to follow. The language, expectations and working process of an arts-led project was an alien and unexplored territory for the hospital. The notion of letting an artist loose to work within a pressured and complex construction project took some time to accommodate, Through persistence on all sides the resulting space evolved. It was only with the confident trust placed by the Chaplaincy team in a placement based commissioning process that opportunities could be found to develop individual relationships Donald formed the concept for the new space. Because his work was grounded in the very real and everyday happenings of the hospital a space grew that met the needs of this very demanding acute environment. It is a space that is “other” set aside from the clinical hospital environment yet located at the heart of it.
The use of commissioned work to populate The Sanctuary from a wide range of artists and makers living and working in Scotland has allowed the expression of the natural world to infiltrate and enrich this clinical hospital environment. Through the tight curation of the contribution from artists a space has evolved that has the clear authorship of Donald but also the breadth and vision of others. This has been an enjoyable aspect of the commissioning process.
It has only been through the unswerving commitment of both staff and artists that the hospital now has this legacy in the form of a new place that is here to provide refuge and sanctuary at any of day or night.
