THE subtler side of healing is being nurtured in a project to incorporate art into the very fabric of Northallerton's Friarage Hospital.

A healing arts scheme and a £100,000 fundraising drive will be launched tomorrow, with the start of the hospital's multi-million pound redevelopment now imminent.

The initiative has won the support of international artist Mackenzie Thorpe, who has agreed to be the project's patron.

"The power of art to affect our sense of wellbeing and ultimately our health is well documented," he said.

"When you watch people respond to art, they do so in a deeply personal and at times unconscious way.

"Art provides pleasure and stimulates thoughts and emotions, at times giving us a distraction or release from the challenges around us.

"A hospital can be cold and clinical to people who are possibly at their most vulnerable.

"Therefore, creating an environment which also nurtures inner, unspoken needs will truly be a centre for health and healing."

Research has shown the thoughtful use of colours, light, art, texture and the performing arts can aid a person's recovery and create a lasting impression to everyone who visits and works there.

At tomorrow's launch, in the Hambleton Forum, a variety of displays will be on show to give a flavour of things to come, including a mini-exhibition by children from South Kilvington CE Primary School, who are doing an arts project on Thorpe.

David Dobson, chairman of the Friarage Arts Committee and a non-executive director of the trust board, said: "The redevelopment has presented us with an ideal opportunity to really think about the design of the hospital.

"Of course, we want to provide an excellent clinical environment for patients and staff, but we are also keen to deliver a package of 'less traditional' care, enhancing the quality of care provided.

"Already, £50,000 has been committed to the arts within the building project, but we are conscious of the fact that NHS funding should be used for direct patient care rather than what some people would regard as the 'softer' areas of healthcare, which is the reason why we have set up this charity."