First 'Beside the Sea' workshop

We'd like to give big thanks to all the residents and staff of Woodland Grove care home who took part in our recent art interpretation workshop in the first part of our Beside the Sea project with the Ingram Collection.

The 28 residents and staff members who joined us were introduced to the themes of the Beside the Sea exhibition (coastal communities, family holidays, historic events, and the natural environment) through group discussions. We shared our own stories and made personal connections to the artworks on display. We focussed on a particular work from the exhibition (David Brayne, Fishing Season) and everyone put forward their ideas, thoughts, and opinions. We even had real shells and corals to touch and hold.

I would have usually walked straight by - it’s lovely to get the opportunity to look properly.

Woodland Grove resident

The artworks in Beside the Sea are on loan to Paintings in Hospitals from the Ingram Collection, the largest privately owned publicly accessible collection of Modern British and Contemporary art.

The Beside the Sea exhibition has been specifically designed to provide the most benefit to a care home setting. Today, it will move on from Woodland Grove to a second care home in the South East. We will be providing and facilitating many more opportunities for residents and staff to explore the themes of the show through a variety of creative activities.

Find out more about the Beside the Sea project