University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) and the hospitals’ Charity are thrilled to announce the south coast studio, Orakel Workshop, has been chosen to create an art display on the exterior of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s new BEACH Building.
Orakel Workshop was selected following a public vote and detailed selection process by the local community and NHS staff. The studio is led by graphic artist and designer Jac Seifert, who is now tasked with bringing her vision to life outside the BEACH, a new six-storey building housing emergency services, critical care, maternity and children’s units.
Jac is known for creating vibrant digital designs inspired by people and places that can be produced in any material.
She said: “I’m thrilled to have been selected to work on this project at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and am very excited to collaborate with staff and the local community to create a piece of artwork for the BEACH Building. I look forward to exploring Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and the surrounding area as inspiration for a design that will celebrate the local natural landscape, from the coastline to the forest.”
UHD’s Arts Manager, Laura Joy, added: “Appointing Jac has been a labour of love involving our NHS staff, local cultural and heritage professionals, and wider community members. Art has the power to transform spaces and lift spirits, which is precisely what we aim to achieve with this commission. I’m excited to have Jac bring a burst of colour and creativity to the BEACH Building. It’s the perfect way to paint a picture of hope with our community for the future of our hospitals.”
The Trust is investing £500m in our health services to enhance care and accessibility for our community. This includes state-of-the-art patient facilities, establishing Royal Bournemouth Hospital as a major emergency centre for faster, more effective specialist care, and developing Poole Hospital into the UK’s largest planned care centre to reduce waiting times.
Additionally, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity is fundraising £1.5m to enhance the BEACH Building with various additional items – above and beyond NHS funding – that will ensure the facility has everything it needs to take our healthcare into the future.
Due to be installed in Spring 2025, the BEACH Building artwork is a planning requirement of the new building and has been made possible by funding from both the Charity and Trust capital costs, ensuring that no money is taken away from frontline care.
This exciting project is part of a broader arts strategy across the Royal Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch hospitals. This will include initiatives with regional artists, schools, colleges and universities and more opportunities for patients and staff to participate in visual art, music and dance activities, which have been proven to support wellbeing and reduce recovery time.
If you’d like to be part of this beautiful creative partnership or get involved in future art projects, please get in touch with Laura Joy at laura.joy@uhd.nhs.uk.