Arts in Health at SALHN
SALHN Arts in Health is a service based at Flinders Medical Centre (FMC), working to enhance care and the hospital environment and making it a calming and more welcoming place to visit.
By offering a broad range of music, performance and visual arts activities that support patient recovery, Arts in Health promotes health and wellbeing in patients, staff, and visitors.
Integrating diverse art therapies and activities into patient care enhances healing by providing them with empowering tools to process trauma, creatively express complex emotions, and to make sense of their health challenges.
The program, established in 1996, is one of the strongest hospital-based arts in health programs in Australia, with a national and international reputation for high quality and innovative programming.
See Arts in Health at SALHN Services (PDF 316KB) for a full list of services provided.
Fundraising event
Professor Nicola Spurrier, South Australia’s Chief Public Health Officer, understands the value of arts as part of the health care and healing journey.
Thank you, Nicola, for taking on the Sid James Victor Harbor Triathlon on Sunday 9 March 2025 to increase awareness of the importance of Arts in Health at SALHN.
Arts in Health at SALHN is working to enhance the hospital environment for patients through initiatives such as music and art therapy and creative writing.
Wishing you all the best for this challenge Professor Spurrier!
You can find out more at https://hospitalresearch.org.au/nicolaspurrier
Exhibitions
There are a number of galleries for the display of exhibitions that contribute to cultivating a healing hospital environment.
If you are interested in exhibiting your artwork in one of the galleries, please contact artsinhealth@sa.gov.au.
Arts in Health have also partnered with Ku Arts to deliver an exhibition program at FMC showcasing works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists across the central and western desert.
The team
Arts in Health is provided by a committed team of a arts manager and assistant, art therapists, music therapists and practitioners. The team work across the wards and public spaces of the hospital providing performance-based and interactive arts activities and responding to specific patient referrals and requests.
Online videos
To view Arts in Health online videos, please access the SALHN Arts in Health YouTube channel (accessible using Chrome browser).
Referrals
Staff, patients and visitors can request Arts in Health services by contacting the office below:
Contact details
Telephone: (08) 8204 3096
Email: artsinhealth@sa.gov.au
Mail: Arts in Health at FMC, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA 5042
Location:The Promenade, Level 2, Flinders Medical Centre (near Duck lifts) Flinders Drive, Bedford Park SA 5042
Directions: Use Western Carpark, enter through Northern Entrance
Take corridor to end and turn right, destination will be on the left after Duck lifts.
Map: Flinders Medical Centre Site Map (PDF 133KB)