Imperial Health Charity’s new artist residency explores grief, care and connection through sound

01 July 2026

SONIC SUPPORT: ECO (The Extracorporeal Orchestra) will see artist Abbas Zahedi embedded across Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and partner hospice settings over the next year, culminating in a permanent sound installation at Charing Cross Hospital in 2027.

Delivered through Imperial Health Charity's Artist in Residence Programme in collaboration with Studio Voltaire and supported by Arts Council England, the project will create opportunities for people to reflect on some of life's most challenging experiences through listening, creative participation and shared dialogue.

Over the course of the residency, Abbas and collaborators will work with patients, NHS staff, hospice clients and the wider public through a programme of workshops, grief circles, performances and broadcasts. Activities will take place at Charing Cross, Hammersmith and St Mary's hospitals, as well as Maggie's West London and Royal Trinity Hospice.

A former medic with training in psychiatry, Abbas's practice explores systems of care and the ways creativity can support wellbeing. Through Sonic Support: ECO (The Extracorporeal Orchestra), he will investigate how sound can help people process emotions, connect with others and find space for reflection within healthcare environments.

The project comes at a time when many healthcare staff continue to face significant pressures, while patients and families can often struggle to find the support they need when coping with bereavement. By creating welcoming spaces for listening and conversation, the residency aims to foster connection, reduce isolation and encourage more open discussions around grief and loss.

The residency will conclude in April 2027 with a permanent sound installation in the Sanctuary Garden at Charing Cross Hospital. The garden already provides a peaceful place for patients, families, visitors and staff seeking a moment of quiet reflection, particularly following bereavement. The new installation will build on this purpose, creating a lasting legacy that supports wellbeing and contemplation for years to come.

Lucy Zacaria, Head of Arts at Imperial Health Charity, said:

"Abbas Zahedi's work creates space for conversations that are often difficult but deeply necessary. Sonic Support: ECO (The Extracorporeal Orchestra) recognises the emotional realities of grief, loss and care, and offers meaningful ways for patients, families and NHS staff to process these experiences together.

"We are incredibly proud to support this residency, which demonstrates the vital role that art plays in supporting wellbeing, reflection and human connection within our hospitals."

Sonic Support: ECO (The Extracorporeal Orchestra) marks the second major collaboration between Imperial Health Charity and Studio Voltaire. It follows artist Sunil Gupta's residency, which resulted in Songs of Deliverance, a permanent photographic installation now on display at Charing Cross Hospital.

Read our interview with Abbas, in which he talks more about why conversations about grief are important here.