What a pARTy!

From drawing on the Play Deck’s windows with paint pens, to creating art with unique paint machines and listening to groovy tunes, the WCH Foundation’s pARTy Week was a huge success.

Held from 21-25 September 2020, pARTy Week was a key event in our 10 years of Arts in Health celebrations.

Each day a different South Australian visual artist and musician brought their talents into the Hospital. Patients, their family, and staff were invited to experience the interactive art activities while enjoying the music.

Leo and his dad Dave enjoyed all the pARTy Week activities, especially painting with Carrie Radzevicius. While pARTy Week was planned to be held on the Play Deck, the wet weather meant some activities were brought onto the wards and to Hospital School.

Patient and family feedback

The Trumbull family – Dave, Kate and their son Leo took part in every day of pARTy Week. Leo has appointments to the Hospital about four times a year, but his most recent stay was for two weeks.

Dave and Leo particularly loved Thursday’s line-up of activities – painting with trucks with artist Carrie Radzevicius and blues music by Cal Williams Jr and WCH nurse Korey.

“When I first saw the flyer about pARTy Week, I thought ‘fantastic’ these activities are something we will be able to build our day around. Having the activities every day broke the monotony of being in hospital and being in Leo’s room,” Dave said.

Leo, nine years old, said his highlight was “the messy painting” with Carrie as it was fun and “made him feel free”.

Kate said, “Leo loves arts and crafts so it was great he could spend time doing something he loves while being in Hospital.”

Ngarrindjeri artist Cedric Varcoe and WCH patient Des created a community art piece.

pARTy Week highlights

WCH Foundation Arts in Health staff Jill Newman and Lauren Simeoni organised pARTy Week. They have shared their favourite moments.

‘’I accompanied Ilona the harpist while she was playing in the day surgery waiting room,” Jill said.

“This is an area where children fast – no food or drink – which can be very difficult especially for young ones. To prep for the surgery, a number of clinicians meet with the parents and children in the waiting area outlining the final details, so it is a nervous time for parents especially if it is their child’s first surgery. Staff said the music created a calming mood, which helped reduce the stress for parents and children. They also said the harp was an interesting instrument to look at and many patients would not have seen one up close before.”

Lauren’s highlight came from the final day of pARTy Week.

“Des had been in the Hospital for an extended stay and he had been away from his family as they live interstate. On Friday Des had the opportunity to come down from his ward and take part in traditional painting with Ngarrindjeri artist Cedric Varcoe. It was a special time for Des to spend one-on-one time with Cedric and to explore Aboriginal art together,” Lauren said.

WCH play therapist Amanda with patient Milania receiving her Activity Pack thanks to Subway.

Activity Pack delivery

The WCH Foundation Arts in Health program helps to relieve the stress and anxiety patients may feel while being in Hospital and highlights the role the arts can have alongside clinical health care. The comments from Leo, his parents, and Jill and Lauren truly demonstrate this.

To complete the 10 years of Arts in Health celebrations, the WCH Foundation delivered hundreds of activity packs to patients in the Hospital. Our friends at Subway made this delivery possible.