then / staff wellbeing / space to pause
space to pause
(program & exhibition)
2022 & 2023 | St Vincent’s Hospital Fitzroy
& St George’s Hospital Kew
1.PROGRAM
We designed and facilitated a 4 week creative program at St Vincent’s Fitzroy & St George’s Kew for all hospital staff called ‘Space to Pause’.
This involved weekly drop-in art spaces where staff were invited to pause, take a breath between obligations and add some creative slowness to their day, with focus on relaxation, reflection and reconnection.
Photographs of program below. Please slide through.
2.EXHIBITION
We also created and curated an exhibition as a way to capture what creative wellbeing can look like, and to provide a visual record of staff wellbeing at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne. The artworks in the exhibition were created by CAYA Art Space in response to the rich conversations and creative processes shared by staff, both during and outside of program hours.
These interactions explored experiences within their hospital roles, as well as individuals out of their uniforms. By offering our artworks as a witness for the exhibition, staff were able to play, create and experiment with art-making without pressure of displaying publicly when finished. We hope these works honour the magic that was shared and produced during the program by all staff involved.
Exhibition artworks below. Please slide through.
‘Bizarre World’ (Collage images and string on paper) explores the surreal & often foreign experience in hospital. With a concoction of patients, visitors, workers, scary-looking equipment, gowns & more - here we imagine the natural & supernatural colliding.
‘Make Space’ (Watercolour and fine-liner on paper). “We need to make space for this stuff.” This work honours all of the statements shared by staff throughout the program, emphasising how much they needed these moments of relaxation, reflection, reconnection & creativity.
‘So Connected’ (Water colour, acrylic paint, fine-liner, digital). “With our work, the personal and the professional are so connected.” (Hospital worker and participant quote) How do the personal and professional connect in your work?
‘The Spaces’ (This above image is a minimal version of what is on the wall in St. Vincent’s Hospital) (Acrylic paint, glitter, pencil, watercolour, collage, oil pastel.) This artwork references the unique energies that individuals brought to the space, each day, at each table.
‘Together’ (Oil pastel and watercolour on paper) explores the idea of being separate but together in a hospital environment. Created by both art therapists at the same time, it imagines the seperate departments operating with their connection of shared purpose.
‘Map’ (Wool on paper, digital collage) imagines the daily journey and movement of a worker in the hospital. It maps them visiting different patients, colleagues, spaces and the connections they experience along their way.
‘Opening’ (Watercolour, tissue paper, glitter, nail polish). “I’m opening my heart up more. Moving away from resistance and closer to acceptance.” (Hospital worker and participant quote). What does it look like for you to feel more open at work?
‘Imprints’ (Digital drawing) Inspired directly by artworks made by participants of the program combined with the core colours of CAYA, ‘Imprints’ serves as visual amalgamation of the coming together of forces.
‘Holding’ (Oil pastel and wool on paper). This artwork shows a merging of colours, textures and forms, with an overall sense of embracing and holding. How do we ensure patients and colleagues feel authentically held within our work?
‘Complex Window’ (Oil pastel and watercolour, digital). This program allowed participants to have a window within their day to take time for themselves. What unfolded was unique and diverse for each person. What windows during the day can you take for yourself?
Participant Feedback
Participants were provided a voluntary feedback form at the end of their time in the studio space.
92% of participants who attended the space filled out a feedback form.
Below the stats, we’ve included some thematic categories of people’s written feedback.
Go on, have a read, they’re pretty sweet.
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"Keep these sessions going please - I’ll come!!!"
"Please come back!"
“We need this all the time.”
"Keep providing these opportunities."
"It would be great to have this as a regular fixture."
"If only this was a permanent fixture at SVHM."
"Loved it. More of this would be great."
"Please do more of these sessions!"
"Please keep these sessions going."
"Can we have more of this? Thank you.”
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"Wonderfully supportive atmosphere."
"This is a very welcoming and peaceful place."
"This would be a great safe/healing place for culturally diverse people who use art therapeutically (i.e. Indigenous staff)."
"A great opportunity to think and share with others in a really safe way."
"Presenters are great. Welcoming & kind."
"I really liked the chat with the art girls."
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"Calmer mind - much more able to focus and concentrate. Thank you."
"Lovely space to reboot! Fantastic idea!"
"Wonderful, relaxing, cleared my head. Thanks so much."
"Thanks for the opportunity to take some time to reconnect to self - we use ourselves everyday, so this has been very much appreciated."
"I feel so relaxed and productive after spending 30 minutes in the CAYA Art Space!"
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"I've made a representation of my stress relief."
"It's so nice to just come and play without having to get all of my art stuff out or pack up."
"I loved having a drop in space like this to do something different."
"Loved the variety of activities."
"I feel more self assured now about being able to creatively explore etc."
"I haven’t touched glitter in 20 years."
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"So soothing."
"My heart and aura feels lighter and more open."
"Wonderful, relaxing, cleared my head. Thanks so much."
"I feel so relaxed and productive after spending 30 minutes in the CAYA Art Space!"
"Just with a marker in my hand I feel instantly better."
"I feel more zen now."
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"This was the best part of my week."
"Great program, love it."
"I loved it!"
"Lovely experience."
"Best thing that's happened this week! Thank you."
"This is my first break that I haven't been scrolling my phone"
"We need to make space for this stuff."
"This was the best use of a lunch break I've ever had."
"This is so important."
"I wish I'd known about it sooner."