With the support of a grant from the Australia Council , Identity Environment & Art developed an Arts and Cultural Plan for the John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW Australia.

This was done through intensive consultation with staff, patients, visitors and the local community. Over 500 people were interviewed and the plan recommended the development of an ongoing program within the hospital.

Proposed projects include works involving staff, video collaborations and a series of healing gardens

Royal on the move

Royal Newcastle Centre

The Royal Newcastle Centre was a major development of Hunter New England Health Service.  The impact of closing the Royal Newcastle Hospital and moving its services to a new building in the John Hunter/ Rankin Park Campus was met by the local community and staff of the Royal with a sense of loss and grief.

In 2003, Hunter Health Service commissioned Health and Arts Research Centre, Inc. an Arts and Cultural Plan for the new building.  It included the development of a cultural program to engage staff of the Royal and local community so that there were opportunities for expressing the issues of closing the Royal.

Planning involved interviews and surveys with 107 people, focus groups, observation of physical traces and environmental behaviour.    The planning conveyed a series of  in seven recommendations and a proposal for the Royal on the Move Program.

The planning also identified users’ value for the hospital, which became the basis for the development of the Arts and Cultural Plan.  Those values were: quality of care and safety, patient centered, respect, an environment that is welcomed to all and team work.

The planning identified values related to the individual participant.  They were caring, family, honesty and integrity, respect and empathy.  Values people aspired in their community were honesty, respect, a sense of community, caring and safety. 

HARC worked initially with archivist Paul Wilson, University of Newcastle and Hunter Health, to create a series of heritage displays.  The Heritage Walks include:

• Royal Newcastle Hospital Architecture
• Health Management and Innovation in Newcastle
• Volunteerism, the Royal and John Hunter Hospitals

HARC catalogued, reframed and relocated all valuable works existing in the Royal Newcastle Hospital to the new Royal Newcastle Centre.

HARC facilitated the commissioning of artworks by

Anna Scobbie,                             Textile, installation, Child play areas, main waiting rooms, levels 2 ,3

Anne Graham,                             Framing the Memories, Installation, Main Foyer

Eden Burke,                             Banners and sculptures, Rehabilitation courtyard,

Judith Thomas-Meulman, Sculture, Awabakal Welcome, forecourt

Kate Bestwick                     Pavement inserts, Awabakal Welcome, forecourt

Lara Mason,                             Mixed media, seats Meditation Room

Malcolm Cooke,                     Glass images inside lifts and lift lobbies, Levels 1, 2 and 3

Marily Cintra                             Sculpture, forecourt

Miranda Lawry,                             Framing the Memories, Photographs, installation, Main Foyer

Shane Frost             Pavement inserts, Awabakal Welcome, forecourt

Funding was a great problem however through partnerships and sponsorships HARC managed to more than triple the funds available for the project. 

HARC was also able to acquire a baby grand piano for the enjoyment of visitors, clients and staff of the Royal Newcastle Centre.