Arts and health takes the spotlight
St John of God Health Care’s commitment to promoting the arts and health was recently in the spotlight as a part of the Black Swan Theatre Company’s Music as Medicine panel discussion.
3 Jul 2018
St John of God Health Care Arts and Health Group Coordinator Deborah Pearson was a member of the four-person panel discussion about the latest research identifying the benefits of arts, in particular the effects of music on physical and emotional health.
Deborah was joined by other leaders including the University of WA Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater, 2020 to 2023 Perth Festival Artistic Director Iain Grandage and Music Therapist Goya Zheng as a part of the discussion in June.
“It is important that St John of God Health Care, as one of the leading healthcare providers in Australia with a focus on promoting the arts and health, is connected with the latest work being done in this area,” Deborah said.
“Being a part of an event like this is a strong demonstration of our leadership.”
Deborah said the discussion touched on the latest research in the field, including research which showed the recovery benefits of patients who listened to music in theatre, as well as the role arts play in creating welcoming spaces, such as piano performances at St John of God Midland Public Hospital.
“We shouldn’t just think of health in the traditional sense of hospitals and clinics," she said.
“Healthcare like the arts and local government, are all focused on the same thing – enhancing the wellbeing of the community – and we are all able to contribute and collaborate to do this.
“Furthermore, through our work in promoting the arts and health we hope to inspire other health organisations to see the positives benefits of incorporating art in all its forms into their care.”
Also at the end of June, the Chamber of Arts and Culture WA released its compendium Articulate Western Australia, which tells a range of stories of how art impacts all members of the WA community.
The compendium includes the stories of St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital patient Irma and Ursula Frayne Unit Nurse Manager Frankie who shared their experiences of the Cartwheels workshops at the hospital – which encourages patients to use art as a part of their rehabilitation for mental health issues.
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