The Healing Arts

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and its charity CW+ have been pioneers in the Arts andHealth field for over 25 years. By bringing music, performance and the visual arts into thehospital, they have created an extraordinary environment and transformed the experience ofcountless patients, visitors and members of staff . In this collection of essays, we delve into the story of the arts at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, from the installation ofdaring sculpture before the hospital opened its doors, to the exciting future of the programme.The Healing Arts discusses the impact of the arts on patients’ recovery, in some casesshortening their stay or reducing their need for pain medication. From drawing to music tocreative digital technology, this volume looks at how integrating the arts into the day-to-daylife of the hospital has changed its patients’ experience of care.