Photography brief

Take Heart and Leeds General Infirmary Intensive Care Photography Commission Terms and Conditions

Background
Research demonstrates that environmental factors affect patient wellbeing and recovery rates. Findings regarding sensory deprivation/stimulation in post operative patients suggest that patients need visual stimuli of a positive and soothing nature to assist in the recovery of self awareness and to avoid stressful post operative delirium.

Intensive care units are constructed by necessity as "hard" environments in order to provide as sterile as possible structure within which life saving and life supporting technology may operate.

One surface which offers an uncluttered view to patients and does not intrude into technical service provision is the ceiling.

Take Heart have agreed to fund an exciting pilot project for the Cardiothoracic Unit at Leeds General Infirmary, based on the research findings previously issued, to commission a photographer to produce images aimed to aid recovery, which will be installed in an intensive care area.

The project will be monitored and evaluated, and if, as anticipated, it is successful, will be developed as a standard enhancement for all intensive care and recovery areas.

The Site
A pilot scheme will initially be sited in the Cardiothoracic Unit of the LGI. This is a six bedded, windowless unit with many of the problems outlined in the research findings previously issued to the artist. Once the pilot scheme has been evaluated it is envisaged that the project will extend to the intensive care and high dependency areas of the new wing (Phase 1) of the LGI.

The Brief
To produce 20 photographic images, based on the findings of the previously issued research papers, and on meetings and discussions with patients and key staff in the Cardiothoracic Unit of the LGI. The 20 photographic images should work both as configured and as single image installations. The photographic artist may choose related configurations of from two to eight images and should aim to produce work which offers a flexible format for installation and resiting.

The format of the work will be twenty 4 1/4 ins. transparencies of sufficient quality to process to 540mm x 540mm positive transparencies (duratrans or equivalent) which will be backlit in lightboxes which will replace the standard 600mm x 600mm tiles in a suspended ceiling.

A condition of the brief is that the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will have permission from the artist to reproduce the transparencies for further installations, adhering to the artistic design/vision set down by the photographer for this commission, within the Leeds General Infirmary.

The photographer will be required to visit the Infirmary to meet relevant staff and patient groups and to study the plans for Phase 1. The artist will also be required to discuss proposals for the project as the scheme progresses. There will be an overall requirement of no more than four meetings for the project, to take place between January and August 1995.

The photographer will be responsible for managing and paying all costs incurred in the production of the proposed twenty photographic images from the agreed materials and travel allowance.

Time Scale
Work must be completed by 31 August 1995.

Fee
The project offers a fee of £3000 with a materials and travel allowance of £1200 .
The fee will be payed in the following way: £1000 plus the materials and travel allowance will be payed on receipt of the photographer's proposals for the commission. The remaining £2000 will be paid when the work is completed and handed over to the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Arts Co-ordinator.

I agree to the above terms and conditions.
Signed ...............................................
Date .................................................

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