RHN Goes Technicolour In Forthcoming Exhibition

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A two day exhibition and an antiques valuation to raise fund for Occupational Therapy Art

A free art exhibition including an antiques valuation day, will take place at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) from 22 to 24 November, to raise funds for Occupational Therapy Art and the continued provision of the RHN Art Room.

Fit for any budding art connoisseur, the RHN’s forthcoming exhibition Colour puts the viewer in control, with the chance to buy original paintings by patients and residents at the RHN, with a ‘pay what you think it’s worth’ twist. Alongside the exhibition, special event Hidden Gems will take place on Thursday 22 November, giving visitors the exciting opportunity to have their antiques valued ‘roadshow’ style by experts from Rosebery’s Auction House for a small fee.

The theme of colour won’t be limited to the exhibition either, with lighting specialists White Light, kindly illuminating the exterior walls of the RHN’s spectacular listed Victorian building with different colours, turning the front of the Hospital into a work of art in itself.

Held over three days from Thursday 22 to Saturday 24 November, in the RHN’s grand Assembly Room, Colour will demonstrate the vital role Occupational Therapy Art plays at the Hospital, with the majority of works having been created during sessions in the Art Room. Visitors are invited to value the paintings they wish to buy, with a minimum price to cover framing costs. The exhibition also includes ceramics, sculpture and work by professional local artists, including photography, which will be priced individually.

Colour will provide visitors with the unique opportunity to witness first-hand the creative journey behind the works on display, and the skills each artist has achieved through their Occupational Therapy Art sessions. Many of the pieces on display have been created by methods that allow patients and residents, with very limited range of movement, to create their work; for example using mouth painting, finger brushes and adaptive grips.

Art is a vital part of our cultural life today, both in public and private spaces. It educates, inspires and stimulates creativity at home, at November 8, 2012rt is an extremely effective form of therapeutic activity, improving strength, range of movement and coordination in patients and residents. But this is not the only benefit, explains Anna Jones, Acting Occupational Therapy Art Room Technician at the RHN:
“Often people who experience serious disability feel a sense of lost identity, so occupational therapy art helps people come to terms with the loss of who they were or what they could do, which is so often how identity is defined. This therapy provides the opportunity for patients to discover new sides to themselves, through the take up of something new and creative.”

One resident, who has really seen the benefit that art brings, is Barbara. A trained ballet dancer who appeared in the stage shows of Lionel Bart and films with Bob Hope, she had just started to develop her love of painting when she had her accident.  Arriving at the RHN with a broken back and in a wheelchair, she sought solace in creativity once more. In painting, Barbara can completely forget the pain in her back:
“I like the Art Room very much. It’s a very good space and it’s really good to mix with other people and work together. It’s very important that we have the space. I feel very out of things if I don’t create. I’d rather be in my world of painting because I like to be immersed in the picture.  I rediscovered art when I came here; it’s a good way of getting rid of frustration, because when you’re involved in doing something that you love, you can’t get upset.”

Colour will be the grand finale for Arts on the Hill- an exciting and memorable programme of arts events raising awareness and funds for the RHN. The RHN is a national medical charity, independent from the NHS.  It is a hospital and a home that rebuilds the lives of adults affected by severe neurological disability, helping them to achieve the best possible quality of life. www.rhn.org.uk

November 8, 2012