The ALLIANCE and NHS Ayrshire and Arran launch year-long art project for care homes

Find out more about our new Art for Ayrshire project.

We are pleased to announce that the ALLIANCE in partnership with NHS Ayrshire and Arran Care Home Professional Support Team  will work on year-long project aimed at producing six unique art installations in care homes across Ayrshire and Arran, exploring What Matters to staff, residents and families.

This creative project will be delivered by ALLIANCE Artist in Residence, Xuechang Leng.

From a pool of numerous applicants, the following six care homes have been selected for the Art For Ayrshire project:

• Burnfoot Care Home – Ayr
• Dalmellington Care Centre Care Home – Dalmellington
• Cumbrae Lodge Care Home – Irvine
• Heathfield Care Home – Ayr
• Temple House Care Home – Mossblown
• Burnlea Care Home – Largs

National Lead Tommy Whitelaw and Artist in residence, Xuechang Leng and Andy Gillies, Head of Spiritual Care, Staff Care and Person-Centred Care will be hosting a series of workshops across the care homes listening to what matters to Staff ,residents and families

Andy Gillies, Head of Spiritual Care, Staff Care and Person-Centred Care at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: “A crucial aspect of spiritual care comes in the form of giving voice to the experience of being human.  Sometimes words are enough but the beauty of that voice being heard and held through art is something that speaks in a deep and enduring way.  Working alongside Cares Homes, the Alliance and Professional Care Home Support team is a privilege and a step towards our vision of promoting the spiritual wellbeing of the people of Ayrshire and Arran”.

Sara Redmond, ALLIANCE’s Chief Officer of Development, said: “The ALLIANCE is committed to working towards our vision of a Scotland where all people have a strong voice and enjoy their right to live well with dignity and respect by supporting enduring change to our health and social care system in ways which improve people’s wellbeing. Our work through the Person Centred Voices programme celebrates the contribution which caring makes and of the people who care, and our latest art project working across Ayrshire and Arran will offer a focal point for conversations about caring to take place for years to come.”

Jocaleen Connolly, Senior Nurse, Care Homes Leadership and Support said: “Since 2021, I have been part of a small team looking at how we can better support staff and their residents with their health and wellbeing. Although our Care Home Professional Support Team can do this through provision of best practice and supporting Care Home staff with additional training and skills, that doesn’t capture the impact of working in a Care Home and the affect this has on staff’s psychological and emotional wellbeing.”

Irene Oldfather, ALLIANCE’s Director Strategic Partnerships, External Affairs and Outreach commented: “Art serves as a powerful medium for promoting health and wellbeing, grounding us amidst life’s complexities, and providing a canvas for the expression of our deepest needs, fears, and insecurities. Through our partnership with NHS Ayrshire and Arran, we want to highlight the transformative impact of art in care home settings. By creating a space where voices are heard, stories are shared, and emotions are embraced, our aim is to cultivate a sense of belonging and understanding within the care home communities of Ayrshire and Arran.”

This follows ALLIANCE’s partnership with Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership which delivered artwork  in five residential care homes for older people, in keeping residents and colleagues supported during the pandemic and the challenges that it brought.

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