The ALLIANCE and Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) will be working with artist Xuechang Leng to commemorate experiences of COVID-19 in care homes.

The ALLIANCE has a history of partnership working with Glasgow City HSCP. Since October 2020, ALLIANCE’s National Lead for Caring and Outreach, Tommy Whitelaw, has been delivering ‘You Make a Difference Sessions’ to promote value-based reflective practice to all new inductees to the HSCP. So far, he has had the pleasure of speaking to 1,500 new colleagues.

We’re pleased to announce that the ALLIANCE’s partnership with the HSCP will be continuing via a new art-based project, exploring the impact and legacy of COVID-19 in the city’s care homes. This creative project will be delivered by ALLIANCE Artist in Residence, Xuechang Leng.

Glasgow City HSCP operates five residential care homes across the city, all of which were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As wider restrictions begin to be relaxed, and the care homes move to a position of recovery, the ALLIANCE and the HSCP feel that staff’s experiences of the pandemic, as well as its effect on residents, should be explored, made tangible and built into the legacy of each care home. The resulting art pieces, created by Mr Leng, will therefore serve as both a memorial of the pandemic, and be a source of hope for the future.

Xuechang Leng is a final-year PhD student in Architecture at the University of Edinburgh, where he specialises in working with teams and individuals within therapeutic spaces to develop pieces of art and sculpture that reflect moods and experience. Mr Leng is a practising artist and has had exhibitions in both China, the US and Australia. Prior to his PhD, he was a Senior Lecturer and the Academic Director of the Art and Design College at the Jiangxi University of Technology. Previously, Xuechang worked with the ALLIANCE’s Carer Voices programme to develop installations that reflected the experience of people with dementia, for donation to a number of residential care homes across Scotland.

Irene Oldfather, ALLIANCE Director of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement says of the partnership: “The COVID-19 pandemic has put massive strain on staff and residents in care homes, and it’s important that we take time to listen to and respect their experiences as we move forward. Art is a powerful way to both express and understand experiences and emotions, and I hope that this project supports care homes to reflect on what the last two years have been for them.

The ALLIANCE and the HSCP have enjoyed a robust history of partnership working, and I look forward to seeing it continue with this new project. The ALLIANCE also thanks our Artist in Residence, Xuechang Leng, for collaborating with us again on this important creative partnership.”

Tommy Whitelaw, ALLIANCE National Lead for Caring and Outreach remarks: “I’ve had the great honour of working with Glasgow City HSCP over the last few years, hosting events across all departments. I look forward to working with care home colleagues across the five locations and with Xuechang, to host workshops to listen to colleagues’ experiences and support the sharing of their remarkable stories through art installations.”

Frances McMeeking, Assistant Chief Officer, Operational Care Services, Glasgow City HSCP said: “All of us have felt the impact of the pandemic in one way or another, and for those working or living within a care home setting it’s been profoundly difficult. Throughout it all, staff continued to keep morale high and residents safe. Their dedication and support to each and every one of our residents and their families will not be forgotten. We want to ensure there’s a lasting legacy for our residents, staff and visitors where they can reflect on the past and look to the future. We look forward to working with Xuechang Leng to achieve this.”

If you would like more information on the project please email carervoices@alliance-scotland.org.uk