Festival of Care

The sweet sound of violins filled the corridors while guitar melodies entertained crowds in the grounds as the Festival of Care kicked off at St George Hospital last week.

The Festival of Care is an initiative designed to bring entertainment, joy and a sense of calm to our hospitals.

Fiona Fahey, Director, People and Culture, said: “the festival was developed in response to requests put forward in the 2022 SESLHD Wellbeing Grants, where we saw a strong desire for art-based wellbeing interventions.”

“Recognising that as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, staff in our healthcare facilities continue to experience high levels of workplace pressure and stress, the SESLHD Festival of Care is an opportunity for staff to take a short break away from their regular activities and discover something new,” Fiona said.

The program includes a wide range of daily events, including live music, virtual reality activities, crafts with First Nation weavers, digital meditation and creative drawing.

Ange Karooz, General Manager, St George Hospital, said St George Hospital was thrilled to launch the Festival of Care.

“The festival filled the hospital with colourful art and music and it was wonderful to see staff engaged in the activities to take a break to enjoy the creative experience and space,” Ange said.

Events were designed to be quick and easy to participate in, so staff could drop in for just a few minutes or stay longer if possible.

Thanks to the Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA) Innovation Hub UNSW partnering with the Big Anxiety Research Centre, the Festival of Care is part of SESLHD’s Wellbeing program, supporting our teams to thrive.  

The Festival of Care ran at St George Hospital between 4 -12 May, Garrawarra Centre 15-17 May and Sutherland Hospital from 18 -26 May. The festival will visit the Randwick and Sydney campuses later in the year and all staff from the District are encouraged to participate across the Festival locations.