Additional Arts Opportunities for the new Balfour Hospital

Two additional creative arts opportunities have been announced for the new Balfour Hospital.

It was announced last month that NHS Orkney, in partnership with Orkney Islands Council’s Arts Development service and supported by the charity Art in Healthcare, was inviting proposals from artists to help create a distinctive identity for the main entrance area of the new hospital.

An opportunity has now become available for an artist to take up a 6-month residency within the old and new hospital and healthcare facilities. They will play a key role in commemorating an historic moment for health care in Orkney during the transition between the two buildings.

The artist is expected to spend in the region of 3 days a month between the sites, which will be negotiated with the project team. The commission will embrace dialogue with staff, patients and users of the hospitals. The residency will allow unique access to the sites and the artwork created will be presented at the new Balfour Hospital and Healthcare Facility, becoming part of the permanent collection of art.

The second creative arts opportunity is for an artist or curator to review the Balfour Hospital's current art collection and develop a scheme for the re-hanging and display of works in the new building.

NHS Orkney has an existing collection of around 250 artworks, many of which are on display within the existing hospital. These works have been gifted over several decades or previously been commissioned.

Details on the full project briefs can be downloaded from our Arts Opportunities and Funding page.

Artists are invited to send their response to the briefs as outlined above, by email, to Antony Mottershead.

NHS Orkney’s new £64m hospital and healthcare facility is currently under construction on the southern outskirts of Kirkwall. The two storey hospital and healthcare facility will replace the existing Balfour Hospital and accommodate a range of emergency, outpatient, day case and inpatient services supported by high dependency, diagnostic and theatre facilities. There will be 49 inpatient beds. In addition, the Skerryvore and Heilendi GP practices and NHS Orkney’s dental practice will be located within the facility. The building will also house the Scottish Ambulance Service and provide a base for NHS 24.