A vibrant new mural, Love Feeds Everybody, proudly supported by the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation, is bringing colour and comfort to the Level 2 Café at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, creating a space of acceptance and inclusion for all families.

For some families, learning that their child requires tube feeding can be confronting, particularly given limited and sometimes negative portrayals of tube feeding in broader culture. These feeding methods are essential for children with a variety of health conditions, from prematurity and congenital anomalies to chronic illnesses. These feeding methods are vital for supporting children’s growth and wellbeing, and the mural aims to normalise tube feeding, challenge stigma, and foster hope and inclusion.

The project was initiated by Clare McGuiness, WCH parent and advocate, in partnership with a dedicated team of WCH Dietitians, Speech Pathologists, Home Enteral Nutrition Nurses, and Food Services staff. Drawing on lived experience and evidence highlighting the importance of hopefulness and normalcy in tube-feeding care, the mural was designed to support families, affirm the experiences of tube-fed children, and enhance the shared café environment for all patients, families, and staff.

“Representations of tube feeding in our culture are often negative and overly medicalised. However, it is simply a different way for people to maintain adequate nutrition,” shared Clare McGuiness. “This mural does so much to support the tube feeding community that come to the hospital.”

The artwork was brought to life by visual artist Billie Justice Thomson, who collaborated closely with hospital families and staff, guided by the WCHN Tube Feeding Consumer Group. The design celebrates all feeding journeys, from breastfeeding and bottle-feeding to tube-feeding and beyond. It reinforces the message that every child belongs and deserves to feel supported in their place of care.

This wonderful initiative was proudly supported by the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation Arts in Health program. Love Feeds Everybody serves as a powerful reminder that every child’s way of being nourished is valid and deserves to be celebrated.

A celebration of every feeding journey

The WCH Foundation were thrilled to host the official launch of the Love Feeds Everybody mural with a warm and joyful afternoon tea in the Level 2 Café at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Hospital executives, staff, families and supporters came together to celebrate the collaboration and message behind it, highlighting the hospital’s commitment to acceptance, inclusion and family-centred care.

Guests also heard from parent and advocate Clare McGuiness, artist Billie Justice Thomson and WCHN Executive Director, Sub-Acute and Allied Health Natalie Hood, who shared reflections on the meaning of the mural and the impact of representation and inclusion.

View photos from the event in the gallery below.

Music has the power to soothe, connect and provide emotional support, especially during challenging times.

Supported by the WCH Foundation and the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide, the CALM album is a new 10-track collection by composer Kristopher Man, created for the Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN). Driven by a shared vision of enhancing the hospital experience, CALM is dedicated to supporting patients, families, and staff through music that deeply resonates with their experiences.

While the concept isn’t new, CALM stands out because of its personal touch, shaped by Kristopher’s own journey. Born at the WCH and returning many times as a patient, his lived experience and gratitude for the hospital community are woven into every composition.

Kristopher shares,

“My motivation for the music is that it’s not just for people now, but also for me. It’s a present to my past self, because looking back at my time this is what I really wish was there.”

Each melody is crafted not just for listening, but to offer real comfort, to ease anxiety, promote peace, and support wellbeing for patients, families, and staff at WCHN. 

Since 2022, Kristopher has been mentored through our Arts in Health program to compose, test and produce the CALM music tracks. This included a special performance where hospital staff and patients shared their feedback on the music, allowing Kristopher to shape the compositions and incorporate the current consumer perspective. 

What sets CALM apart is its heartfelt authenticity. Kristopher’s deep appreciation for the dedication of healthcare staff resonates throughout the album, offering not only encouragement to those facing health challenges, but moments of calm for the caregivers too. Every track reflects a genuine hope: to create welcoming spaces where music can make even the hardest days a little brighter.  

He reflects, “I’m really happy to have the opportunity to be the person that brings this to others.” 

From waiting rooms to wards and quiet corners for staff, Kristopher hopes his music will bring connection and comfort wherever it’s needed within the hospital.

Please connect with our Arts in Health staff via artsinhealth@wchfoundation.org.au to arrange a CD or download of the music tracks.

Five years ago, BIG W embarked on a mission to support the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation through a five-year partnership. With an ambitious goal of raising $500,000, State Manager Kris and the BIG W team set out to make a difference.

Today, we are thrilled to announce that BIG W has exceeded all expectations, raising an incredible $679,629.65, surpassing their goal by nearly $180,000! This remarkable achievement is thanks to the dedication of BIG W staff and the generosity of their customers who supported the Token Campaigns over the years.

To celebrate this milestone, we were joined by the inspiring Dragon Queen, Zoe, one of our Pink Heart Gallery artists, and a talented dancer from Restless Dance Theatre. Together, they helped the BIG W team understand how these funds support Play Therapy at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and make a difference in the lives of patients.

This partnership is a shining example of what can be achieved when a company truly believes in giving back to the community. By working together year after year, BIG W has helped us create brighter futures for children and families in need.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire BIG W team for their incredible support and commitment. Your efforts have made a lasting impact, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

The Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation (WCH Foundation) is proud to announce its partnership in the groundbreaking Health Songbook Project, a transformative initiative that introduces Australia’s first music therapy songbook tailored for Aboriginal peoples undergoing health treatment. 

This innovative resource, developed by the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium’s Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) in partnership with the WCH Foundation, features 20 songs representing 14 Indigenous language groups. The songbook is freely available online, offering professionally produced recordings, sheet music, lyric sheets, and composer background notes to support music therapists in clinical and community settings. 

The WCH Foundation Arts in Health program played a pivotal role in connecting the research team, led by CASM Co-Director and Bundjalung man Grayson Rotumah, with Music Therapists across South Australia and the Australian Music Therapy Association. These connections enabled vital discussions about the challenges music therapists faced and the resources they needed to better support culturally based care for Indigenous families. This input shaped the development of the songbook, ensuring it met the needs of practitioners and patients alike.

“Before this, music therapists had no culturally appropriate resources to draw on when engaging with First Nations patients. This often made it difficult to build trust and understanding,” Rotumah explained.

This resource provides music, language, and stories that can act as a bridge to Aboriginal patients, who are statistically over-represented in our hospital system.” 

The Health Song book Project not only bridges cultural divides but also celebrates the richness of Aboriginal languages and music. It includes contributions in languages such as Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri, Gunditjmara, and Torres Strait Islander languages, among others. Most of the music was newly composed, blending contemporary therapeutic practices with Indigenous cultural expression.  

Music therapy, which uses rhythm, melody, and harmony to address physical, emotional, and social needs, is a vital tool in health care. The songbook has already received enthusiastic feedback from therapists eager to integrate it into their practice. 

The WCH Foundation is honoured to have contributed to this meaningful initiative, which not only enhances health care but also fosters cultural connection and healing. The Health Songbook Project is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of culturally sensitive care.  

For more information, visit the Health Songbook Project.

Patients and staff at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital enjoyed a truly unique experience with The Lensical as part of the 2025 DreamBIG Children’s Festival, which provided a much-needed emotional escape.

This innovative dance performance series was the result of over a year of creative development through a pioneering partnership between the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Arts in Health Program and Restless Dance Theatre (RDT), Australia’s leading creator of dance by artists with and without disability. The performances, which demonstrated how art can elevate care, took place in post surgical recovery spaces, four paediatric wards and within Hospital School.

At its core, The Lensical reimagines dance theatre for healthcare settings. Conceived and directed by choreographer Michelle Heaven, who is also a qualified Play Therapist and enhanced by a custom-designed cone-shaped lens by acclaimed designer Ben Cobham, meant the patient room was transformed into an intimate space for interaction and connection between performer and patient.

“Ben developed an apparatus that can slide over the bed for the patients, allowing them to semi-block out what else is going on and focus in like a lens,” explains Michelle.

The Lensical highlights the vital role the arts can play in healthcare. Research shows that artistic experiences can reduce stress, improve mood, and help with recovery. Dancers, Abbie Madden, Sidney Debba, Bhodi Hudson and Michael Hodyl, all with their own experiences of receiving healthcare support, were able to see directly the patient’s reactions.

“You can physically see the patients’ shoulders relax, they’re calmer, they’re smiling… it makes a real difference,” shared RDT dancer, Abbie, reflecting on the impact of these hospital visits.

The performances received glowing feedback from both patients and their families with one mum describing it as

“a little moment of transportation to another place.”

Integrating performances like these into hospital settings has benefits not just for patients but also for staff, helping to create a more positive and uplifting environment. This project also serves as a tribute to the creative visionary, Roz Hervey, whose brilliance continues to inspire. The Lensical stands as a testament to her passion and dedication, carrying forward her legacy of creativity and care.

In paediatric hospital care, Registered Music Therapists are dedicated to supporting babies, children, young people, and their families at every stage of their medical journey. Through meaningful engagement and creative expression, they use evidence-based music interventions to address hospital, health and treatment-related stressors. From singing and playing instruments to creating personalised music, it provides patients and their families with a sense of control and connection, in otherwise overwhelming situations.

At the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, music therapy has proven essential for patients at every stage of their hospital experience, from diagnosis to end-of-life care. It helps reduce stress, manage pain, and foster emotional resilience. For families like Alex’s, music therapy has become a vital source of support.

Chelsea, Alex’s music therapist, has been there every step of the way for him during his cancer treatment.

“Alex has chosen to engage both when he has felt his best and his worst, which demonstrates the power of music, the strong relationships we form with our patients and families and the trust they place in us to provide support and comfort in those difficult times.”

Alex’s mum, Belinda, credits music therapy for transforming their hospital experience.

“We’ve used music for every tough thing in hospital. The music therapist has played soothing guitar to help him sleep or relax, has played musical games to help distract him from his nausea, and has gone along with all of his crazy ideas like making TikToks which have made him so happy.”

She adds, “If we didn’t have music therapy during this time our experience would have been completely different and way worse. In the early days, the music therapist was one of the only people who could get him out of bed by using fun musical games and singing and it changed his whole outlook.”

The Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation, together with Redkite, proudly supports the Music Therapy service at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, helping patients like Alex and their families when they need it most.