Our Resident Artists are on site at St George's Hospitals each week to lead creative sessions with patients, their families and staff.
You could listen to some live music, or a story, or create some art of your own.
Please scroll down to learn more about our current Resident Artists, and get a taste from what to expect from a creative session with them.
If you would like a Resident Artist to visit you on the ward or in an outpatients waiting area, please email arts@stgeorges.nhs.uk and we will do our best to send them your way!
ST GEORGE'S HOSPITALS Resident Artists
Heather McClelland
Musician
Heather McClelland is a singer, songwriter, and vocal coach. As a solo performer and as part of The Sugar Sisters, she has performed on BBC TV and Radio, The Royal Albert Hall, and Union Chapel. Her music has been featured in films, ad campaigns, and TV shows.
An established music facilitator in healthcare settings, Heather has held previous creative posts at the Royal Brompton and Marsden Hospitals and Great Ormond Street Hospital, working predominantly with children and young people.
A session with Heather might involve singing or listening to your favourite songs, playing ukulele and other instruments, and even writing your own song from scratch.
Heather says: "I’m really excited about starting my music residency at St George’s and I can’t wait to explore the positive impact that music can have on patients, their families, and the incredible staff in this world class hospital."
Joshua Bilton
Visual Artist
Joshua Bilton is a visual artist making socially engaged artwork through a range of materials and workshops. His artwork is inspired by communities and nature, and he has held a number of long term commissions at the Welcome Collection, Kettle’s Yard, Tate Exchange and The Canal and River Trust alongside his work at St George’s Hospital and Cambridge University Hospitals.
Joshua was one of our first ever St George’s Resident Artists working on site in 2022 and 2023. We are delighted to welcome Joshua back to site as Resident Artist again.
Joshua says: ‘I’m really excited to be back at St George’s Hospital to explore further the relationship between art, ecology and wellbeing and embed myself within the patient, staff and visitor community once again.’
‘For this residency period I will be inviting the St George’s Hospital Community to respond to the River Wandle, through painting, 16mm film and a zine. The works will offer a space to reflect on care, ecology, support and healing within a healthcare environment.’
A session with Josh could include painting with watercolour, mark making onto film or simply chatting about nature.
Watch this space for updates on Joshua’s project!
RUAN Murphy
Visual Artist
Ruan is our Creative Heritage Resident Artist, they are a self-taught printmaker and socially engaged artist/facilitator. They initially started printmaking during a long period of illness so that people would stop telling them to get a hobby, and have been doing it ever since. Their work commonly explores themes of care, protest, disability and gender/queerness and the broader social contexts these exist within.
Ruan is passionate about creating art collaboratively and has facilitated participatory projects in a wide range of community settings. Through their own experiences they are interested in the different ways art can be used in healthcare settings. They are an advocate of wonky art and a firm believer that there is no such thing as bad drawing.
A session with Ruan might involve using methods such as drawing, printing or sculpture to create a response to an object or painting in St George’s Collection.
Ruan says “I’m really excited to work with staff, patients and the local community on the new heritage project and explore and activate the collection with different people.”
The role of Creative Heritage Resident Artist has been made possible with thanks to a generous grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Monique Jackson
Visual Artist
Monique Jackson is a visual artist, long covid advocate and facilitator who is influenced by the integration of trauma-informed principles into creative practice.
A session with Monique might involve; group reflection and exploring experimental methods of drawing and opportunities to curate stories or ideas using structures inspired by comics, journaling and zine making.
Monique says: “I’m looking forward to spending time...to listen and collaborate with the hospital community in the hope of providing sessions that can feel fun and relaxing and a chance to find authentic modes of self-expression.”
Beth Hopkins
Musician
Beth Hopkins is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. Leading original bands Queen Colobus and Beth Angharad, and part of All Day Breakfast Cafe, Beth has appeared on stages across the UK and Europe such as Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Rooms and We Out Here Festival. Beth’s compositions have received critical acclaim and have been heard on BBC Radio 1, 6Music, Jazz FM and more.
Alongside her performing career, Beth hosts songwriting and other music-based workshops in various care settings such as hospitals, care homes and schools, as well as teaching saxophone, piano and songwriting in whole-class and 1:1 contexts.
A session with Beth will see you create your own song, exploring lyrics and sounds using our voices and a variety of instruments. It also may involve making a snap dragon, or other artistic memento, to explore lyrics.
Beth says: "I can’t wait to start songwriting with patients, families and staff ... and am so excited to hear the unique stories that will unfold in every song."