Design for catholic hospitals: A study of art and design

The research investigated art and design within four large hospitals in Brisbane, Australia. The study drew on understandings of Bourdieu's notions of economic, social and cultural capital. The study found that various art and design experiences helped shape the design of the immediate environment as well as the personal experiences of patients, staff and the wider community. The studies demonstrated that art and design can change lives and promote social inclusion. Further, the study found that art and design were a positive way to engage with people who were in life transition and that participants gained new understandings of social interactions, relationships, art and design practice, community participation and futures. Overall, the study found that art and design were powerful ways for individuals and groups to make choices and meanings through engagement with art and design practice and frame their interpretive personal and social experience as well as impact their immediate environments.