Arts in Health

^{Queensland Children’s Hospital distraction wall skin designed by Imaging Solutions. Photograph: Sarah Osborn.}

Arts and culture are integrated into new and redeveloped health facilities across Queensland to help create welcoming, culturally safe and healing environments for patients, staff and communities. Arts in Health: Principles and practice (PDF 6.9 MB) provides guidance on how arts initiatives are planned, designed and delivered as part of Queensland Health infrastructure projects.

Why Arts in Health matters

Hospitals operate with clinical precision, where decisions influence patient outcomes and staff wellbeing, yet they are also places of hope and human connection.

When arts initiatives are integrated early and delivered well, they can help to:

• reduce stress and anxiety
• support recovery and wellbeing
• improve patient and staff experience
• strengthen community connection and pride
• reflect local identity and cultural heritage.

A people-centred and culturally safe approach

Queensland Health incorporates arts early in project planning, so it is embedded within health facility design, rather than being added later. Clinicians, designers, artists and communities work together to create inclusive, meaningful and functional spaces that reflect local stories and strengthen connection. We work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, artists and those with lived experience of illness or disability to ensure facilities reflect Queensland’s diversity and help people feel welcome, safe and represented.

From planning to activation

Arts in Health: Principles and practice (PDF 6.9 MB) provides practical guidance to help support planners and project teams embed arts in health facility design and delivery.

This document outlines how to:

• identify curatorial themes
• commission and acquire artworks
• integrate art into architecture, interiors, wayfinding and digital environments
• engage communities
• manage, maintain and showcase artworks.

Health Infrastructure Queensland partnered with Children’s Health Queensland and Arts Queensland to develop
Arts in Health: Principles and practice (PDF 6.9 MB), ensuring arts integration aligns with recognised best practice and sector expertise.