Swansea-based artist, Catrin Jones, is a key member of a team that scooped first prize for integrating art and healthcare, at an awards ceremony held in Bristol.

The Berkeley Vale Health Community Arts Project won the top award in the Health Organisation category at the Arts & Health South West Awards, sponsored by the Fine Family Foundation, on 27th June.

The Berkeley Vale project was commended for incorporating art at every level of healthcare.

Art is regarded as an important element in a holistic approach to treatment, whether 'on prescription' or intrinsic to the new community hospital in Dursley.

Catrin Jones was 'lead artist' at the new Dursley hospital, where she designed colour schemes for the aluminium cladding around the main entrance, and the internal hospital walls.

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Catrin's colour schemes were inspired by the historic woollen industry of the Stroud valleys, where, in the C18th, over 150 mills were working at full capacity. The colours Uley Blue and Stroudwater Scarlet were known all over the world for their use in British military uniforms.

Blues were used for the external cladding and quiet internal areas, whilst the scarlet colour has been used in key areas of attention, such as reception desks and nurses bases. Other internal colours were sampled directly from a painting, by an unknown artist, of Wallbridge, Stroud, painted around 1790, by permission of Stroud Museum.

Other elements of the award-winning project include a stainless steel wall sculpture by Shelagh Wakely, art classes (eg salsa) on prescription, dance lessons in every school, and a dementia memory project.

Pic: Coloured Aluminium Entrance Façade, Vale Community Hospital, Dursley, Gloucestershire, Designed by Catrin Jones

For further infoontact Catrin Jones or Tim Pegler on 01792-875515, or email [email protected]