Torbay Hospital: 'And breathe said the machine'

Here’s something for your diary.

On the weekend of Saturday 3 May and Sunday 4 May, between 11am and 4.30pm, there is an opportunity to visit the historic boardroom and chapel at Torbay Hospital. This is when the 'And breathe, said the machine' exhibition takes centre stage; it’s a limited opportunity to see both the space, which is not generally open to the public, and this innovative exhibition.

The whole thing is being put together by the artist in residence at the hospital, Helen Snell, and retired GP and musician Tom Morris, a former dermatologist who worked at Torbay Hospital, with assistance from Sarah Yeo.

In 2022 Helen Snell was appointed artist in residence at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust with a remit to work with NHS staff to explore issues of wellbeing and burnout. Helen's residency has been generously funded by NHS Charities Together.

Since she started, staff have met with Helen Snell and talked candidly about their experiences of working in the NHS. They also shared personal stories describing their lives beyond work.

Helen shadowed staff in a range of different roles across the healthcare trust, from cleaners to surgeons and pharmacists to scrub nurses. She asked staff to consider their work environments as metaphorical spaces to embody or express an inner landscape and to explore feelings about the word ‘wellbeing’ and its meaning/usage within the context of the NHS.

Medical equipment, uniforms, elements of costume, furniture and clinical and non-clinical spaces, including areas of the geopark, have all formed part of this potent seam of metaphors. Collectively these testimonies, both visual and text-based, are a means to give presence to staff who often feel unheard or unseen and an opportunity to map the complex and ever-changing geography and culture of the hospital trust.

The artwork is now being combined with a soundscape put together by Tom and Sarah. Tom sings with several choirs, and as a keen musician, he has a place in several bands locally. That said, he would be the first to admit that creating the sounds, some songs and the general ambience to go with the exhibits has been a challenge.

With a master’s in music, Sarah was the ideal person to help Tom in this venture. Sarah has a fascination with how our voices work and a belief that everyone has a beautiful voice that we can all learn how to use.

The event is in aid of the Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity, which is the official charity of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. It is dedicated to improving health and wellbeing for the people locally by funding equipment and projects that enhance patient care.

As part of NHS Charities Together, which is a national charity helping the NHS to thrive and trying to make sure everyone can get the healthcare they deserve. They work with over 230 NHS charities across the UK; they aim to improve patient care, helping people live healthy lives and to make sure that our incredible NHS staff are cared for.

The exhibition will be unveiled at a private opening on Wednesday 30 April when staff will be able to experience the artwork, accompanied by a concert with the music composed by Tom and Sarah Owen. The work will be performed by Torbay Hospital’s choir in the chapel.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s Chief Executive Joe Teape said: “We received charitable funding in 2022 to help our people to explore how the arts might support them in the aftermath of the pandemic.

There is evidence that the arts can enhance people’s lives, and we are grateful to Helen for the support, time and space she has given them to explore their reactions to this life-changing global event.” Members of the public will be able to view the artwork in the boardroom on the following weekend.