ProjectcoordinatorHealthandArtsResearchCentre(HARC)Incusedenvironmentalbehaviourresearch(Zeisel2006),communityculturaldevelopment(CameronandGibson2001)andsustainableheritagemethodologies(Galia2006)todeveloptheartsandcultureprogram.

TheprojectwasprimarilyaconsumerandcommunityengagementprojectratherthanaresearchstudybutparHcipantsself-reportedsignificantbenefits,includingimprovedqualityoflife,whichhavebeendocumentedbyHARC.

CriHcalsuccessfactorswerethehighlevelofengagementfromconsumersandstaffandtheuseofanon-tradiHonalarts-basedengagementmethodologytoimproveclinicaloutcomes.TheprojectwasmappedagainsttheengagementspectrumdevelopedbytheInternaHonalCentreforPublicParHcipaHon(IAP2)andmodelscurrentbestpracHceinaconsumer-ledmodelofcommunityparHcipaHonwhichistradiHonallyverydifficulttoachieveinapublichealthseOng.

Theprogramhadfourindividualprojects:

Imagine!Amixedmediaprojectusingphotography,videoand

dialysisconsumables

BubblesGalleryAninternalfeatureusingdialysiswater

CulturesofBlacktownAboriginalwelcomepainHng

LivingLibraryphotoandvideoprojectwhereolderpaHentssharedtheirexperiencewithyoungadultpaHents

BeingandBelongingisanexciHng,engaging,collaboraHveconsumer-ledartsprojectattheRegionalDialysisCentreatBlacktownHospital.

ItdirectlyencouragespaHentstogetmoreinvolvedintheirhealthcareandimprovetheirqualityoflifebyexpressingtheirexperiencethroughart,anddirectlyinfluencingtheircareenvironment.

QRcode Facebook/BMDHProject Twi[er@BMDHProject

Being and Belonging How art and storytelling transformed the experience of dialysis for patients at Blacktown Hospital’s renal centre

The Program

BeingandBelongingwascreatedbypaHents,families,arHstsandstaffaspartof

theNSWGovernment’sBlacktownandMountDrui[Hospitals(BMDH)

ExpansionProject.

AddiHonalsupportwasprovidedbyBlacktownArtsCentrethroughthePat

ParkerResidencyProgram.

AniniHalworkshopinvolvingabout100people(includingpaHents,carers,

friends,staff,communityandarHsts)generatedtheconceptsfortheartworks

andendorsedtheobjecHveofusingarttoenhancethephysicalenvironment,

raiseawarenessofchronicrenaldiseaseandimprovequalityoflife,especiallyfor

youngadultslivingwithdialysis.

Snapshot

! TheprogramincreasedtheparHcipaHonofyoungadultsondialysistreatmentinthesupportgroupwhichhasbeenbeneficialformaintainingsocialconnecHonandmiHgaHngisolaHonduetochronicdiseasewhichisobenseenasan“oldperson’sproblem”.

! StaffandpaHentsreportedthattheatmosphereofthecentrehasbeenextremelyposiHveandcollegiate,withtheartworksprovidinga“talkingpoint”onwhichtoconnect.

! UsingacreaHve,arts-basedmethodologyhelpedbreakdowndisHncHonsbetweenstaffandpaHents,youngpeopleandolderpeople,Aboriginalandnon-Aboriginalpeople.

! Stafffeelmoreconfidentaboutembracingnewapproachestocare,tothinkmorecreaHvelyandtoengagemorecloselywithpaHentsandcarersinthedeliveryanddesignofservices.

! Theprojecthasbeensosuccessfulthatit’sprovidedamodelforconsultaHoninStage2toincorporateartandculturalelementsintoamajornewcommunitydialysiscentreatMountDrui[.

Morethan300engagementinteracHonsduringtheproject

Peoplecurrentlydependentona[endingourdialysiscentres

Smallpercentageunder25butgreaterlifeHmelifestyleimpact

88regulardialysispaHentsatBlacktown

IsolaHonandlonelinessaffectwell-beingandtreatmentcompliance

20%AboriginalandTorresStraitIslander

650

Benefits

"“Itwasquitetherapeu5cforstafftodosomethingenjoyablewithpa5entsandtocreatesomethingbeau5ful…it’simprovedourcommunica5onskillsandgivenussomethingincommon.Thegalleryislikeourwater-cooler…it’saplacetogettogetherandtalk.”

TaHana,pre-dialysisclinicalnurseconsultantdescribinghowpaHentsandstaffcreaHvelyre-imaginedcommonclinicalconsumablesintominiworksofartwhichwerethendisplayedinnichesintheBubblesGallery.

Instagram@BMDHProject bmdhproject.health.nsw.gov.au

Imagine what you could do A new direction: Silia’s story

The water cooler effect

The fine print

Tagusinyourposts#BMDHProject

Scantoseetheinterviewsatbmdhproject.health.nsw.gov.au

BeingandBelongingprovideddialysispaHentSilia,23,withthechancetotakecontrolwhenshetookontheroleofdirectorforthestorytelling

projectLivingLibrary.WithfellowYoungAdultsonDialysisSupportmemberFrances,sheinterviewedotherpaHentstocreatephotoandvideostoriestohelpdemysHfydialysis.Theprojectrevealedseldom-

heardstoriesofloss,hopeandexperienceandprovidedapintofconnecHonbetweendifferentgeneraHons.ThevideointerviewsandsHllphotographsformpartofthephysicalandonlinegalleryfortheproject.“MycondiHondoesn’tdefineme.NorisitthemostinteresHngpartofme,”Siliasaid.

PaHentsFrances(above)andHarry(right)interviewedfortheproject.

“Ifyouworry,yougodown.Youhavetobestrong.Thisislife…thisisnotourchoicebutithappened.Youcan’tdoanything.I’malright.Icomehere,Ijoke,Ilaugh.Mostpeopleloveme…thenurses…!”Harry,haemodialysispaHent

#ScantoseemoreaboutIndigenousarHstPeterWilliams’welcomepainHngCulturesofBlacktownwhichwelcomeseveryonetothecentre,promoHnginclusionandunderstanding.

#RouHneandboredomamongstregularpaHentswasaddressedbycreaHngtemporaryexhibiHonspacesintheBubblesGallery.Itschangeabledisplayspacemostrecentlyshowcasedclinicalconsumables(e.g.gauzeswabs,forceps)re-engineeredintoplayfulandengagingsculpturesbytheYoungAdultsSupportGroup.

#ImagesfromtheLivingLibrarycomplementtheonlineinterviews.

"ScanwithyourQRcodereadertogotothewebsiteformoreinformaHonabouttheBlacktownandMountDrui[HospitalsExpansionProjectandtheBeingandBelongingprogram.