About

The impetus for using design as a means to assist health came from two GPs who were convinced that the quality of the healthcare environment plays an important and beneficial role in promoting good health, as well as providing an opportunity for different sectors of the community to get involved in an art project.

The Fort William Health Centre Public Art Project provides an opportunity for high quality artwork sourced locally and nationally to be displayed in a very public health care environment. It provides an opportunity for local people to engage with some new and exciting artworks, and realise the potential of art projects in the area. Primarily the project meets the following aims:

• Enhancing and improve the exterior and interior of the new Fort William Health Centre helping to make the time that people have to spend in this centre more pleasant, creative and interesting.
• Encouraging partnership working with the building developer PMP Plus and the user groups in the centre through the formation of a steering committee taking forward a shared vision for the interior and exterior artworks.
• Creating the opportunity for artists to work alongside the building developer, main contractor, engineers and architects to ensure a practical solution to the public art project is reached.
• Ensuring the patients experience is enhanced through interesting visual elements within the building.
• Encouraging the general public to engage with visual artwork.
• Provides opportunity for artists to develop and make artwork for a unique environment.

Lasting benefits of this project for the community

The artwork within the centre provides a visual dialogue for Highland Culture within the Lochaber community. It provides a real legacy for the Year of Highland Culture 2007 and sets a precedent for the development of high quality artwork for all new public buildings within the area.

With the population of Fort William and Lochaber visiting the centre for all health care needs the audience for this project is immense. Patients using the centre and staff working within the centre have responded well to the Public Art Project. Some patients have commented on the artwork to their GP during consultations and it has even prompted discussion and encouraged patients to seek visual metaphors to their illnesses which has been a real success of the project.

In addition to the commissioned elements, an outreach project involving school and community groups complimented and contributed to many of the artworks.

Further information about the complexities of the project and some of the problems encountered along the way can be viewed here:
Comments from Dr Michael Foxley