When Pat McKerrow, an award-winning wildlife photographer and writer, spent some time as a patient in St Columba's Hospice Care she organised a small exhibition of some of her photographs, "Symphony of Swans". Working with Giorgos Tsiris, arts lead and music therapist at the Hospice, Pat also wrote a poem and mixed music with the spoken word to produce "Eternal", a touching and heart-warming song about love between two people.
Pamela produced these while attending the weekly Hospice Online Art group ‘Hola’ during the spring of 2021. “I really enjoy the ‘Hola’ art group and always look forward to the next week, I have totally surprised myself at times with my style of artwork. The ‘Hola’ group has been a lifeline for me as due to my cancer I had to shield all through lockdown. No one in the group judges my work which is fab. The group facilitators and the other patients are all amazing and friendly!” “The Harry Ramsden picture means a lot to me as I really love the area because the hospice is there.” Pam
St Columba’s Hospice Care works in close partnership with Queen Margaret University and regularly provides placements for Music Therapy and Art Psychotherapy students. At this year’s Symposium we are pleased to offer a virtual visit to the exhibition of artworks produced by the 2019-2021 graduating cohort of Art Psychotherapist students. These works were made to the theme of ‘Interruption’ and reflect the interrupted journey the students experienced during these two years.
The Hospice's annual art exhibition is live online, featuring over 100 works for sale by professional Scottish artists. Thanks to the generosity of our participating artists, a minimum of 50% of art sales will be donated to St Columba's Hospice Care. It's a lovely opportunity for our community to purchase something special whilst supporting the Hospice's work.
These striking photographs are a small sample of a large collection which were taken by Pat as she followed the lives of a pair of mute swans over a 5 year period on Edinburgh’s Water of Leith. They can also be seen on display at St Columba’s Iona Café gallery until 16th November.
A triptych of flags created from hospital garments; patient’s gowns, medic’s scrubs and health care worker’s tunics. A declaration of identity and solidarity that everyone has the capacity for caring, suffering and healing. The making process of deconstructing, re-imagining and repairing reflected our fluid roles and ways of being, everything changes yet remains familiar.
Amy is currently an Art Psychotherapy trainee on placement at St Columba’s Hospice Care Arts Team. Here Amy shares work from before her art therapy training - ‘Four daffodils’ and ‘Two Pyramids’; two works, acrylic paint on paper - 'Boats' (x 2) - and a flower collage, created during 'Hola' sessions at the Hospice; and a painting - ‘Plodding along’ created in Amy's own time for reflection and self-care purposes.
A selection of drawings by Adrienne C Chaplin. Adrienne is a member of the weekly Hospice Online Art group ‘Hola’. These works, produced with coloured pencils on paper, highlight Adrienne’s adept drawing skills and her interest in both observational drawing and drawing from imagination. Adrienne says, “I really enjoy the art group and appreciate the company. It really brightens up my day!"
This year’s Arts Symposium is co-organised by St Columba’s Hospice Care and Queen Margaret University. It brings together arts therapists, community artists and other arts practitioners and scholars to reflect on their learning and their "unlearning" as they navigate through the ongoing uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic. For a full programme and details of presentations, speakers, performances and workshops, please click here.
