By the late 1800s, it was clear that a purpose-built hospital was required to meet the demands of a growing industrial city. In this era, before the establishment of the NHS, the hospital relied on philanthropy. It was equipped with modern facilities and supplies with donations from wealthy patrons and ordinary people throughout the city.
Since its official opening in July 1903, the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) has provided round-the-clock healthcare for the people of Belfast and beyond.
During the RVH 125 project, staff, patients and families will be invited to share their memories through interviews and community events. The project team will gather materials and stories to create a digital museum with a dedicated website.
The project will also include:
- two new roles, a full-time coordinator and a part-time archivist
- volunteer and staff training in oral history gathering, cataloguing and preserving historical records and photographs
- art, music, drama and creative writing commissions inspired by the archives
The Sir Ian Fraser Lecture Theatre – which is the last of the original operating theatres along the Victorian Corridor – will be refurbished and opened to the public as a heritage hub. It will host talks, tours and exhibitions and be a space to engage with archives, stories and artefacts from the hospital’s collections.
Paula McHugh, Arts in Health Manager at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, said: “By providing access to the fascinating archives and collections of the Royal, this project will showcase the wellbeing benefits of involvement in heritage activity.”
