Havens: Stories and Portraits from NHS Lothian - Installation at Astley Ainslie Hospital, Edinburgh

An 18-month residency with Tonic Arts, NHS Lothian Charity, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

Imposing, but intimate, large-scale portraits, still lives and personal testimony document the ‘havens’ of NHS Lothian staff; the places where they find time for quiet in their hectic workdays. From the basement laundry at the Royal Infirmary to the rooftop terrace of NHS Lothian headquarters at Waverley Gate, and from a clinical pharmacist at Midlothian Community Hospital to the painter and decorator at the Royal Edinburgh, 28 penetrating photographs uncover these hidden gems and celebrate the commitment of the staff who find solace in them.

During their residency, the artists interviewed and photographed over 70 NHS staff across the Lothians, from a variety of roles across a wide range of hospital and healthcare sites. The result is a collection of photographs and stories that give insight to the wellbeing and mental health needs of all those working in healthcare. The work has become part of NHS Lothian Charity’s Tonic Arts permanent art collection and will be exhibited across hospital and healthcare sites across the region in the coming months and years.

• https://nhslothiancharity.org/what-we-do...