Considering Art in a Hospital Environment from Children’s and Young People’s Perspectives

In response to research evidence, (predominantly research with adults) the need for artwork in healthcare environments is now regularly part of the initial design briefs for hospitals. The resulting artwork can be a collection of commissions; it can also be included as a seamless extension of the interior design concept. In the case of paediatric hospitals, it is unlikely that ‘art’ which is simply a graphic treatment applied to key surfaces throughout the hospital environment, could function in the ways that children and young people have identified in research as being valuable in their experience of hospitalisation. This one environmental attribute will be used to understand some of the key components of a hospital environment involved in children’s feeling of well-being from their perspectives.