In 2015, Dr Hilary Moss of the National Centre for Arts & Health, Dublin, published a research report exploring the role of the curator in hospitals.

This international study noted that the arts play a significant role in society but also that current evidence indicated ‘a neglect of the aesthetic environment of healthcare’. The report also acknowledged the sparsity of existing literature on the role of the curator in hospital, as well as the little exploration of how patient or service user preferences are considered when planning and delivering arts programmes within hospital.

The study consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted with ten arts specialists in hospitals across five countries. Recommendations arising from the research included recognition of the specialised role of the curator in hospitals; building positive links with clinical staff to effect positive hospital arts programmes and increasing formal involvement of patients in arts planning in hospital.

Curation comes from the Latin root curare – to take care of. In healthcare the curator/arts manager needs to take care of artworks that others do not value and to take care of patients’ quality of life by making a wide variety of arts experiences available to patients. As a curator in hospitals it is easy to become institutionalised, to accept the limitations and conservatism of the sector. Creative thinkers and artists are needed to turn the ‘norm’ upside down, to comment on the everyday such as long waiting times or patients on trolleys ...

Hospital curation can be a vibrant arena for arts and the role of the hospital curator is, overall, a groundbreaking, specialist role that can bring benefits to hospital life. The role of curator or arts manager in hospital deserves to be supported and developed by both the arts and health sectors.

• Read the full study

Paintings in Hospitals has over 60 years of experience providing art for healthcare. Find out how we work with patients and carers...