Throughout March, pupils from The Hurst School partnered with patients from our Hospice to create stunning artwork as part of the Hawthorne Project.
The art project, organised by us and Hampshire Hospitals Palliative Care Service, was aimed at breaking down barriers by bringing a group of patients and young adults together to work on an art-based project.
Ten children and ten patients met at the Hospice every week for four weeks. They began by meeting and pairing up, they were then tasked with creating their masterpiece with their partner. At the end of the fourth week, parents were invited to come in and celebrate the artwork and relationships created during the project.
Paul Hutton, Living Well Service Lead at St. Michael’s Hospice said, ‘It has been an absolute pleasure to welcome the pupils from The Hurst School to St. Michael’s and to see the incredible interaction and creativity between them and some of our patients.”
Sara Conran, Head of Year 9 at The Hurst School said: “Our students have really enjoyed being part of this project, from working on initial design ideas, to creating some fantastic artwork. But more importantly, they worked alongside some brave, resilient and amazing patients, getting to know them and forming an understanding of what a hospice is and does. I would like to thank everyone involved for setting this up and inviting us to be a part of it.”
Headteacher, Jayne McLaren added: “I am really proud of our students and the amazing artwork they have helped to create. I would also like to say a huge thank you to St. Michael’s Hospice for involving us in this project.”
The artwork will be displayed at The Hurst School for staff, students and parents to enjoy.