Art in Hospital Programme
Preserving a Unique Collection, Enhancing Healthcare Environments
The Friends of Conquest Hospital is proud to be supporting the future management, preservation and development of one of the most significant hospital art collections in the region. Spanning hospitals in Hastings, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Rye, the collection contains hundreds of artworks gathered over more than a century, helping to create welcoming, uplifting and therapeutic environments for patients, visitors and staff.
As stewardship of the collection transfers from East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust to The Friends of Conquest Hospital, we have an exciting opportunity to protect this important heritage while ensuring it continues to benefit future generations.
If you would like to be involved, find out more about volunteering or get in touch.
The Healing Power of Art
Art has long played a role in healthcare settings, helping to reduce stress, encourage reflection and create environments that feel more human and less clinical. Today, hospital art programmes are recognised for their contribution to patient wellbeing during difficult times, and for helping to creating positive healing environments that support both physical and emotional health.
A Collection with a Rich History
The hospital art collection contains between 600 and 800 works of art, ranging from historic pieces dating back to the early nineteenth century through to more contemporary artworks, and includes paintings, photographs, sculpture, stained glass and decorative tiles. The collection grew significantly following the launch of the St Helens Hospital “Arts in Healthcare” initiative in 1988 and expanded further with the opening of the Conquest Hospital in the early 1990s. The Conquest Hospital was an early pioneer of the concept of the hospital as a healing environment, incorporating gardens, art displays and live music into its design.
Some of the art works are listed on the Art UK website and there are many more which are of significant interest.
Protecting an Important Legacy
To safeguard the future of the collection, a comprehensive programme is being developed to:
- Identify and catalogue all artworks
- Create accurate digital records
- Photograph and document each piece
- Record ownership and provenance information
- Improve storage and conservation arrangements
- Develop better systems for exhibition management and display rotation
The Art in Hospitals project is about much more than preserving artworks. It is about making the collection an active and visible part of hospital life.
If you would like to be involved, please get in touch (insert bookmark link to contact form)
Looking to the future
Our future plans include:
- Rotating exhibitions and curated displays across the hospital sites
- Promotion of the collection to attract new artists and supporters
- Opportunities to develop community partnerships and sponsorship
- Encouraging new donations to enrich the collection further
By refreshing displays and improving access to the collection, we hope to create more engaging spaces that enhance wellbeing for everyone who visits our hospitals and ensure that the artworks continue to inspire and comfort people throughout East Sussex for many years to come.
