What we do
Havens

Inspiring art installations, quiet gardens or even a hidden nook to claim as their own, these are the havens of NHS Lothian staff. Through interviews and portraits, find out more about these havens and the impact they have on wellbeing.

Read more

Nature Bathing at East Lothian Community Hospital

Find out more about our double award-winning holistic and pioneering art and environment strategy at East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington

Read more
Get Involved
Become a Tonic Arts Volunteer

Join our team of dedicated volunteers and help bring art to life for patients, staff, and visitors across NHS Lothian.

Read more

Join our team!

Find out more about two exciting opportunities to join our team.

Read more
About us
Case Study: Nature Bathing

Drawing on elements of nature can quickly take you out of a clinical space, which can feel confined or detached from the outside world. Viewing nature via artistic representations can promote restoration, significantly improve mental health and reduce stress or anxiety

Read more

Case Study: Context and Place

A community hospital like East Lothian Community Hospital is a hub, a nerve centre for local people, responding to and tending to their needs. The art and design programme took inspiration from the site, the surrounding landscapes and the local people.

Read more

Penny and Matt from LMN working with Tonic Arts. Image copyright to Euan Robertson

What’s On

Find out more about our upcoming events, exhibitions, workshops and performances.

Photographs of the pictures from the Mindful Walks in West Edinburgh event by Julia Murden.

2 April, 2025 – 24 September, 2025 / Tonic Gallery 1, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU

Exhibition
Western General Hospital

Mindful Walks in West Edinburgh: An Art Exhibition by Julia Murden

Explore Julia Murden’s Mindful Walks in West Edinburgh exhibition at The Western General Hospital, featuring art inspired by mindful walking […]

As part of the Edinburgh International Festival, the London Symphony Orchestra play at a Hospital in the Lothians. Image © to Mihaela Bodlovic

9 April, 2025 – 10 September, 2025 / Hospitals across NHS Lothian

Event
Musical performance
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
St John’s Hospital
Western General Hospital

NHS Festival Sessions

We’re thrilled to be continuing our exciting partnership with Edinburgh International Festival, bringing world class artists to perform for patients and staff across NHS Lothian.

Our story exhibition, celebrating 200 years of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital

13 December, 2024 – 31 December, 2025 / Canteen, Royal Edinburgh Hospital

REH: Our Story

Celebrating 200 Years of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital Step into the Mackinnon House canteen and take a journey through time! […]

Joint Tonic Arts and Green Health Network Event

10 June, 2025 / Online

Networking

Tonic Arts Network: Using Art and Design to Transform Healthcare Spaces

Join us for our next online network event to discover more about our Havens participatory project, other staff wellbeing projects and how to develop them.

Artwork by Lesley Simpson

30 April, 2025 – 1 September, 2025 / Tonic Gallery, Dott Corridor, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Royal Hospital for Children and Young People

Exhibition
Royal Hospital for Children and Young People

Artists Within

Artists Within is an exhibition of artwork by NHS Lothian staff. We have had the pleasure of working in partnership […]

little-astronaut, red-building by Jolanta-Pakla-Plebankiewic

7 December, 2024 – 30 August, 2025 / Astley Ainslie Hospital, 133 Grange Loan, Edinburgh EH9 2HL

Astley Ainslie Hospital
Exhibition

New Foto Photography Exhibition

New Foto is an exhibition that has been developed by our Tonic Arts programme in partnership with Stills: Centre for […]

4 February, 2025 – 31 July, 2025 / Tonic Gallery, St John’s Hospital Livingston

Exhibition
St John’s Hospital

What does art look like?

Explore the vibrant world of artistic expression from NHS Lothian Charity’s Tonic Arts Art Collection. This collection, with over 2,500 […]

Events Archive

Our Common Humanity, © Juli Bolaños-Durman

13 September, 2023 / Garden Lobby, Scottish Parliament

Event

NHS Lothian Charity’s Tonic Arts Showcase

NHS Lothian Charity was delighted to host an event at the Parliament, sponsored by Daniel Johnson MSP, to celebrate the […]

LSO & Sir Simon Rattle © Mark Allan

14 August, 2023 – 16 August, 2023 / Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Western General Hospital

Musical performance

London Symphony Orchestra at NHS Lothian

Welcome to a remarkable event as part of the Edinburgh International Festival, featuring the world-famous London Symphony Orchestra performing a […]

Artwork © Emelia Kerr-Beale as part of the Life under Lockdown project

12 April, 2020 – 12 June, 2021

Exhibition

Life Under Lockdown

One Pandemic. Seven Artists. Seven Generations. One Exhibition In June 2020 Tonic Arts created a series of micro-residencies for visual […]

1 June, 2023 – 30 August, 2023 / Royal Edinburgh Hospital

Event

Summer Fling

The Summer Fling is a celebration of art, creativity, culture, nature and community. Celebrating the great outdoor spaces of the […]