The European Charter on Environment and Health declares that ‘good health and well-being require a clean and harmonious environment in which physical, psychological, social and aesthetic factors are all given their due importance’. The integration of the visual and performing arts into health care environments can play a crucial role in achieving these objectives.

A study into the effect of visual and performing arts on physiological and biological outcomes concluded that the inclusion of the arts in health care settings:

Induces significant differences in clinical outcomes
Reduces amount of drug consumption
Shortens length of stay in hospital
Improves patient management
Contributes towards increased job satisfaction for staff
Enhances the quality of service

Jersey Arts in Health Care was founded in 1993 and incorparated by the Royal Court on the 3rd of February 1995. The Trust makes the arts available to those who would otherwise have limited access due to illness, disability or infirmity.

There are six key areas of work:

• Collaboration with the UK charity Music in Hospitals & Care to bring professional musicians to residential homes, day care centres and hospital wards
• Curating displays of the visual arts in local hospitals.
• Encouraging local performers to work within the health care system.
• Providing information on the wider benefits of the arts in health care through workshops, training sessions, talks and exhibitions.
• Supporting those who organise social activities in care settings through support for the work of the Social Activities Forum who help to train social activities providers.
• Advocating the value of the arts therapies, providing public workshops, pilot projects and funding for individual groups.

Patron: Lady Linda Bailhache

Honorary Chairman: Rod McLoughlin

Honorary Vice Chairman: Val Aitken

Honorary Treasurer: David Pett

Other Board Members: Tom Dingle, Jane Holmshaw, Fiona Speller, Daniel Austin