Vital Arts announces the first artworks to be installed at the new Barts Cancer Centre, opening this Spring, as part of our major art commissioning programme for the new hospitals at Barts and The Royal London.  A series of beautiful lightboxes located in the ceilings of treatment rooms by artists Darren Almond, Susan Derges, Simon Patterson and Sophy Rickett will be installed for the distraction and enjoyment of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy treatment.


Sophy Ricket, Untitled (nature Study6), 2009


ATRIUM COMMISSION

As part of our major art commissioning programme for the new hospital at Barts, Vital Arts is offering a significant commission for a new work to be made for the four-storey atrium which will serve as the main public circulation and meeting space for the building.

This is an exciting opportunity for an artist (or artist collaborative) to create a permanent artwork for a major civic building at the centre of one of the world’s greatest cities. It will provide a unique chance to realise a site-specific work that will be seen by a hugely diverse audience as part of a high profile project of major importance to London.

RAHERE HISTORY COMMISSION

With support from the Rahere Association, Vital Arts is offering an artist the opportunity to make a permanent artwork that is inspired and informed by the long and distinguished history of Barts. The new work, by an artist to be appointed in March, will be installed in the new hospital building.

Vital Arts offers short and long-term internships. These provide an opportunity to gain practical experience working in a busy arts and health organisation delivering a wide ranging programme for the benefit of patients, staff and the wider community.

We can offer you:

• Invaluable practical experience and insight into working with contemporary visual arts, live music and performance, as well as arts education
• Opportunities to meet and work with artists, network with the visual arts and live art sector
• Opportunities to work within a small team and to contribute to programme planning and development, and to develop specific interests
• Advice and guidance on a career in the arts
• Travel expenses (within central London zone)

What we expect from you:

• Undergraduate or postgraduate in art practice, theory, administration, curatorship
• Commitment and enthusiasm
• Interest and engagement in contemporary art and the Vital Arts programme 
• Willingness to undertake a wide range of duties and a range of computer skills

Applications for short and long-term internships (minimum 2 days a week) are welcome, depending on Vital Arts programme and availability. If you would like to be considered please send your curriculum vitae and a covering letter detailing your interests, timescale and availability, by post or email to
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COMMISSION NEWS

JACQUES NIMKI COMMISSION

Jacques Nimki is bringing the outside into the Paediatrics A&E department with an installation of work based on the weeds and wildflowers found around The Royal London.

Jacques Nimki, Detail from installation at Paediatrics A&E department, 2010

CATHERINE YASS COMMISSION

Catherine Yass has produced a new lightbox for the London Chest Hospital.  The work, entitled Sleep (Swamp) is based on an image taken in the Florida Everglades and invites patients into a warm, langourous daydream.  The image will also be available as a limited edition print.  Please check our shop for further details.


Catherine Yass, Sleep (swamp), 2009

The Garden That You Planted
12th February - 30th April 2010 

Rowena Dring and Nike Savvas have become increasingly intuitive to each others work since they met in 1996.   This collaborative exhibition, developed specifically for the galleries at Barts and the Royal London, is inspired by the artist's shared experience of living in a dilapidated French chateau last summer.   The show includes work by each artist, as well as works created together which combine their individual approaches to landscape, and to the chateau’s parkland.


LATEST EDITIONS:  BOB AND ROBERTA SMITH  and CATHERINE YASS

BOOKS

Accident Prone Artist
Admitted to 8 Different Hospital Accident & Emergency Wards

Internationally renowned but accident prone artist Simon Faithfull has created a book cataloguing his mishaps. The book about accidents will be ‘discovered’ by accident but only by people who’ve had accidents; it’s called ‘Accident Book’.


Simon Faithful, Accident Book, 2009

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PARTICIPATION NEWS

FILM CLUB

 

Find Your Talent Tower Hamlets have awarded Vital Arts the funding to begin a Film Club in partnership with Rich Mix, the multi-arts venue in East London.  Twice per month during the summer term, young patients attending the Royal London Children's Hospital will be invited to attend film screenings, discussions and practical film-making workshops here in the Royal London Hospital.  All participants will see their work on the big screen and will receive a copy of their short film on DVD to take away with them. 

SUNDAY BEST

Sunday Best, Ink Illustration, 2009
Supported and inspired by Her Majesty's Historic Royal Palaces, Vital Arts worked with INK Illustration throughout November and December.  Working on elderly wards, INK asked patients to remember when they were best dressed.  What did they wear? What was the occasion? Pictures and stories have been recreated on silk-screened postcards, copies of which were given to all participants and displayed at the Royal London.

This Vital Arts project was generously funded by Her Majesty's Historic Royal Palaces' The Last Debutantes exhibition at Kensington Palace.

SHRINK YOUR WORLD

Simon Woolham, Snowglobes
Throughout December, artist Simon Woolham invited young patients to create an imaginary world through drawings and rubbings taken from around the hospital.  Designs were shrunk into snow domes for participants to take away with them.

SPITALFIELDS IN RESIDENCE: Firefly

Vital Arts and Spitalfields have a long and successful history of working together. In 2010 musicians from folk-jazz five-piece Firefly will begin three exciting projects.

LULLABIES: - February 2010

Mothers, along with new born babies and their families are singing, sharing and writing new lullabies from around the world in weekly singing workshops on the Royal London's labour wards. Patients are contributing to a song bank of lullabies from Somalia, Turkey, Bangladesh, England, Poland and beyond!  At the end of this project, the collected works will be produced on a CD to be distributed to all participants.

XENAKIS ANIMATION - March/April 2010

As part of a collaboration with local schools, young patients with Cystic Fibrosis will interpret Xenakis' Pleiades (a sextet for percussion) by recording urban sounds capes from around the hospital.  Recordings will used as a soundtrack for animation created by schools in Tower Hamlets with digital artists igloo. The final piece will be projected at Spitalfields Festival Summer 2010.

MUSIC COMMISSION

Firefly have been commissioned to create a series of recordings for the Nuclear Medicine's PET centre at Barts.  Works will be inspired by improvisation workshops run in collaboration with Barts and The London Orchestra and Choir.

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CONCERT DATES

FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERTS
at The Royal London Hospital


Aeolus Ensemble - Outpatients Concert

Weds 17 March, 12.30 - 1.30pm, Royal London Outpatients department

She'koyokh duo, award-winning klezmer ensemble performing Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Balkan and Turkish folk music

Mon 22 March, 12.30 - 1.30pm, Royal London Outpatients department

Jean Kelly, performing a selection of popular and classical pieces on the harp

Weds 7 April, 12.30 - 1.30pm, Royal London Outpatients department
Bonfire Band, local East London trio performing country/folk/blues on double bass, banjo, guitar, harmonica and 3-part vocal harmonies

Thurs 15 April 12.30 - 1.30pm, Royal London Outpatients department
She'koyokh trio, award-winning klezmer ensemble performing Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Balkan and Turkish folk music