Hospital Rooms

When artist Tim A Shaw and curator Niamh White went to visit a friend who had been sectioned after a suicide attempt and admitted to a mental health hospital, they were shocked by the environment they found themselves in. It was white and sterile, cold and clinical - and felt far from therapeutic at a time when someone they loved was very vulnerable.

This inspired the creation of Hospital Rooms, an arts charity dedicated to bringing world class creativity to mental health settings. The ambitious project brings together world class artists with staff and patients in some of the worst times of crisis, to create meaningful and life-changing pieces that enhance these facilities for the better.

The charity has completed 20 projects across the country in areas including London, Devon and Sussex, in a range of facilities. Its most ambitious to date is ongoing, at two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield Hospital in Wandsworth, South London. The team worked directly with patients and staff to create more than 20 co-produced new artworks, with more than 160 art workshops for patients.

Comments from participants say it all. One reported: “I found this really brought me out of my shell. I didn't realise that I had an underlying ability.” Another said: “Without Hospital Rooms, I definitely would not have recovered as quickly as I have. And it has to it a kind of community, as well. Without it, I just can't envisage that I would have gone back to normal life and connected again with quite the same effect.”

When artist Tim A Shaw and curator Niamh White went to visit a friend who had been sectioned after a suicide attempt, they were shocked by the mental health ward they found themselves in. It was white, sterile and clinical, and felt far from therapeutic at a time when someone they loved was very vulnerable. This inspired the creation of Hospital Rooms.

Now the charity has completed 20 projects across the country in areas including London, Devon and Sussex, in a range of facilities. The Springfield Innovation Project operates at two brand new mental health hospital buildings at Springfield Hospital in Wandsworth, South London, and brings together world class artists with staff and patients in some of the worst times of crisis, to create meaningful and life-changing pieces that enhance these facilities for the better.

As part of the Springfield Innovation Project, the team have worked directly with patients and staff to create more than 20 co-produced new artworks, with more than 160 art workshops for patients. These workshops help to give patients a positive focus in hospital, building a sense of community and aiding patient recovery.