GB 0120 SA/BHC - British Health Care Arts Centre

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0120 SA/BHC

Title

British Health Care Arts Centre

Date(s)

  • 1984-1993 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

6 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Dr Hugh Baron was keen to establish a society for the promotion of arts in hospital, and he and other interested parties proposed to set up a centre for this. A Steering Committee was established. Originally, negotiations were with Manchester Polytechnic funded by the Carnegie Trust (but they pulled out when staff were being appointed, as it was counter to their remit). However, the Committee found itself unable to agree on a Director, and plans to set up the centre in Manchester were scrapped. This led to some of the Committee members (notably Peter Senior, who applied for the post of Director) breaking away. Eventually, Senior established a rival institution in Manchester (Arts for Health. See D.1) and the British Health Care Arts Centre based itself in Dundee at the Duncan of Jordanstane Art College, under the Directorship of Malcom Miles. It was financed through donations from charitable trusts and foundations.

In 1993, through financial instability, the Centre was wound up. However, the English venture merged with the arts project at the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (at Leeds General Infirmary), whilst the Scottish arm remained in Dundee. The two institutions were separate in terms of finance and management but still retained collaborative links.

The aims of the BHCAC were: (a) to improve the environment in all health care buildings, by encouraging the development of the arts in these buildings through the provision of an advice and consultancy service, both to the health authorities and to arts organisations and projects working with the Health Service, and (b) to initiate studies and arts in health care. Every year, the BHCAC awarded the Astra Award funded by Astra Pharmaceuticals.

Archival history

GB 0120 SA/BHC 1984-1993 Collection (fonds) 6 boxes British Health Care Arts Centre

Dr Hugh Baron was keen to establish a society for the promotion of arts in hospital, and he and other interested parties proposed to set up a centre for this. A Steering Committee was established. Originally, negotiations were with Manchester Polytechnic funded by the Carnegie Trust (but they pulled out when staff were being appointed, as it was counter to their remit). However, the Committee found itself unable to agree on a Director, and plans to set up the centre in Manchester were scrapped. This led to some of the Committee members (notably Peter Senior, who applied for the post of Director) breaking away. Eventually, Senior established a rival institution in Manchester (Arts for Health. See D.1) and the British Health Care Arts Centre based itself in Dundee at the Duncan of Jordanstane Art College, under the Directorship of Malcom Miles. It was financed through donations from charitable trusts and foundations.

In 1993, through financial instability, the Centre was wound up. However, the English venture merged with the arts project at the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (at Leeds General Infirmary), whilst the Scottish arm remained in Dundee. The two institutions were separate in terms of finance and management but still retained collaborative links.

The aims of the BHCAC were: (a) to improve the environment in all health care buildings, by encouraging the development of the arts in these buildings through the provision of an advice and consultancy service, both to the health authorities and to arts organisations and projects working with the Health Service, and (b) to initiate studies and arts in health care. Every year, the BHCAC awarded the Astra Award funded by Astra Pharmaceuticals.

These papers were given to the Wellcome Library by Dr Hugh Baron in July 1996. They formed part of a larger group of papers that has been divided into four separate collections: GC/199 (Dr J H Baron), GC/241 (Balsalazide), SA/PRO (The Prout Club) and SA/BHC (British Health Care Arts Centre).

Correspondence between Dr J.H. Baron and others involved in the British Health Care Arts Centre, and other related papers, 1984-1993.

No attempt has been made by the archivist to reorganise the papers; although files and minutes within files have been rearranged in chronological order. The collection is divided into sections as follows:

A Hospital Arts [Society] Linda Moss

B Health Care Arts

C British Health Care Arts Centre

D Committees

E Correspondence

F Donors

G Astra Arts Awards

H Booklets

Access restricted: Peter Senior is not to be allowed to consult this collection. For all other readers the papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

English

Copied from the Wellcome Library catalogue by Sarah Drewery.

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Jan 2009 Arts Baron , Jeremy Hugh , b 1931 , physician and biomedical scientist x Baron , Hugh Hospitals Health services Medical institutions British Health Care Arts Centre

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

These papers were given to the Wellcome Library by Dr Hugh Baron in July 1996. They formed part of a larger group of papers that has been divided into four separate collections: GC/199 (Dr J H Baron), GC/241 (Balsalazide), SA/PRO (The Prout Club) and SA/BHC (British Health Care Arts Centre).

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Correspondence between Dr J.H. Baron and others involved in the British Health Care Arts Centre, and other related papers, 1984-1993.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

No attempt has been made by the archivist to reorganise the papers; although files and minutes within files have been rearranged in chronological order. The collection is divided into sections as follows:

A Hospital Arts [Society] Linda Moss

B Health Care Arts

C British Health Care Arts Centre

D Committees

E Correspondence

F Donors

G Astra Arts Awards

H Booklets

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access restricted: Peter Senior is not to be allowed to consult this collection. For all other readers the papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.

Conditions governing reproduction

Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Wellcome Library

Rules and/or conventions used

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area