A LARGE-scale painted mural has been commissioned outside the new Urgent and Emergency Care Department at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, funded by Arts Council England and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity and supported by Severn Arts.
The exterior 11.7m long by 2.6m high mural was recently completed by Emily Kaye Illustration for the opening of the new department in October.
It was commissioned by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity, thanks to generous donations from supporters of their Worcestershire Royal Hospital Urgent and Emergency Care Appeal and majority funding by Arts Council England, in partnership with Severn Arts and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
One key focus for the mural was that the design should be inclusive and representative of the diversity of staff and patients at the hospital.
After gathering ideas from participants’ stories and experiences of Worcestershire and of their daily lives, Emily said she hoped everyone could find something to relate to, whether it be her playful characters, flowers, or hidden objects.
Wendy Joberns-Harris, divisional director of operations for Urgent Care said: “Our aim is to help create an environment for our patients that is warm, welcoming and friendly.
“It is incredibly important to us we are here for the whole community when they need us, and we wanted the whole community to feel represented within the artwork.”
Elaine Knight, arts director at Severn Arts said: “It’s been fantastic to see how the mural has developed in response to the stories of those that work in the hospital and also community members who use the hospital.”