ART AT PUBLIC HEALTH CENTRES BENEFITS PATIENTS AND ARTISTS

This is the post that should have been done on Wednesday 15th August.

So here's a great opportunity for those of us who have artistic capabilities.

So many opportunities, so little time!

Art at public health centres benefits patients and artists
27 March 2007 at 11h00

The Community Health and Arts Trust (Chat) recently launched a pilot project for using art as therapy for the disadvantaged at public service outlets and providing work and skills for artists. Head of Sekunjalo Investment Group Iqbal Survey and Dr Colin Jones were the guest speakers at the launch at the Brooklyn Chest Hospital in Milnerton last week.

Chat is an initiative of Cape-based Pygmalion Management Consultants and the Sekunjalo Investment Group, and a collaboration between a large and a small BEE company. Chat project manager Troy Truter says the organisation is a non-profit trust for the support and development of artists in the provision of art as therapy to the health, education, social and other public services. It will liaise with the city and provincial health departments and other appropriate public sector institutions to create opportunities at public health centres (out-patients, clinics and day hospitals) and other community facilities in delivering artistic services to disadvantaged communities, children at risk and rehabilitating offenders.

"There is a potentially large audience, from disadvantaged communities, who regularly attend health facilities to receive treatment. They spend significant time at these facilities and could benefit from interacting with the artists."

The trust seeks support from the private sector and provides opportunities for funding the programme through corporate social responsibility initiatives. Chat will be engaging business, and, in particular BEE companies, to collaborate in corporate social responsibility ventures, says Truter. "This initiative looks at the twin challenge of health and cultural needs and mustering the support of the private and public sectors in the kind of partnership the government has been eager to see take place," Truter says.

Pygmalion and Sekunjalo have already committed funding and management support to the establishment of the trust and the pilot project at Brooklyn Chest Hospital.For information, contact Truter on 021 788 2806, or visit troy@ pygmalion.co.za