ARTLINK HOSPITAL ARTS
Welcome to our blog! Here you can keep up to date with the latest goings on in the Glasshouses Creative Hub and on the wards of the Royal Edinburgh, Western General and St John’s hospitals. Find out more about our work, access the archive of our activities across hospitals in the Lothians over the past 40 years, or browse through our archived newsletters. If you want to know more then contact us and we will be to happy to help!
An exhibition and creative programme of patient artwork made through Artlink’s Hospital Arts Programme at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. It celebrates collaboration and belonging through art and the importance of a supportive and inclusive community. All welcome to join in the events, whether by listening, sharing, or making together.
Exhibition: On The Same Shelf
03/05/2026 – 29/05/2026
Charles Smith Room, Morningside Library,
84 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4PU
An exhibition of embroidered artworks made by patients at the REH Glasshouses through Artlink’s Hospital Arts programme.
Exhibition available to view Tuesdays 10am – 1pm and Sat 2pm – 4pm. Outwith these times please contact Morningside Library on 0131 529 5654.
Talk: Book of Belonging
Tuesday, 19th May 2026 10.30am – 1.30pm
Charles Smith Room, Morningside Library
Join us for an informal gathering around The Book of Belonging, a handmade pop-up book showcasing the Hospital Arts Summer Parades and creative involvement of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital community. Meet participants and organisers of the parades, share stories, reflect on art and culture in a supportive and inclusive community and explore ways the wider local community can get involved.
Workshop: Embroidered Book Spine
Thursday, 21st May 2026, 12pm – 3pm
Main Space, Morningside Library
Join artist Laura Lees and create an embroidered book spine of your favourite book to contribute to our collective bookshelf. No experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to join in. All materials provided on the day.
The embroidered bookshelf project began in workshops with patients at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in 2023 and continues to grow through collective making.
Free events, space limited. Contact ashleen@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk to reserve your place.
Download the flyer (1.5mb PDF)
The Sea Trek Parade at the REH
Sea Trek marked the fourth annual parade to take place at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. This year we left land behind and looked beneath the waves for inspiration, transforming the hospital grounds into a celebration of sea life.
Led by Poseidon – god of the seas – the parade took form with the Wednesday Art Group as Poseidon’s shoal draped in hand-printed shell tunics and vibrant coral headdresses, Michael the Octopus, Sean the Lobster, Tommy and his Squid, alongside Wilma the Whale and a sea of tropical fish, turtles and jellyfish to bring up the rear!
Rhythmic drumming by Marafiki and chants led by “Starfish” Len kept the energy high:
“All Save the Whale!”
“Don’t hurtle the turtle!”
“Squiddy, Squiddy, Squiddy… INK! INK! INK!”
Our route flowed from the Glasshouses, past “Turtle Beach” beside the Robert Fergusson Unit and the R.E.B entrance (where we engaged in some lively jellyfish jiving), before reaching the Community Gardens for a welcome break. Cyrenians staff and volunteers showed great hospitality as they shared refreshments and starfish scones amid competitive seahorse races. Our last stop at the Hive featured a performance of sea poems read aloud against a backdrop of delicate banners, bubbles and jellyfish bunting made in the Hive’s creative groups.
Sea Trek was the culmination of three months of workshops with patients, staff and volunteers. Guided by textile and embroidery artist Laura Lees, participants transformed everyday and discarded materials into extraordinary creations: curtains became tentacles, umbrellas transformed into jellyfish, cardboard excavated from the Hospital Tech Department became painted seascapes, tropical fish, seahorse placards and turtles, bedding became a banner and a whale and last year’s giant carrot was reborn as a squid.
Thank you to everyone who participated and made this years parade a reality!
Roaming Creatives
Throughout the year we have a great team of artists – Hailey Beavis, Laura Lees, Aimee Brown, Nick Evans, and Anne Elliot, working on wards in the Western General, St John’s and Royal Edinburgh hospitals. They create a space where patients can get lost for while in the process of making, creating and socialising.
On medicine of the elderly wards at the Western, Hailey and Laura are bringing a wide variety of creative experiences to patients. The activity brings a focus to the day and joy in the experience of making something together. Hailey briefly reflects on the purpose of her input; “Wanting to bring the outside in for patients with Dementia at the Western General Hospital, I created recognisable leaf shapes inspired by all the autumn colours. We spent a happy day decorating the leaves with pens and sparkles whilst we chatted and listened to music. At the end of the group workshops we had lots of unique leaves which I stuck around a cardboard ring to make a wreath. Everyone loved seeing it come together, and enjoyed the feeling of being part of something.”
____________________________________
