Milton Keynes Hospital Artist Training

This project was initiated by Willis Newson. Previous research carried out for Arts Council England had identified a need to better prepare artists for work in healthcare environments. We therefore wanted to create a transferable training programme and guidelines for artists to give them the knowledge and confidence to deliver safe and effective residencies within hospitals. The scheme was piloted at Milton Keynes General Hospital in 2004-5. Four artists with limited experience of working in healthcare took part in a 20-day mentored residency. Jane Willis led an initial two-day training workshop. Each artist then met with hospital staff, discussed their needs and created a project proposal. These were reviewed before being delivered. An evaluation process captured findings and assessed the benefits to individual artists.