Hospital Rooms – a UK charity set out to provide safe and secure mental health spaces – is bringing colour, joy and creativity to previously bare and clinical environments

After visiting a close friend who had been admitted to a mental health ward, and being taken aback by the rather uninspiring, cold and clinical space they were in, Tim Shaw and Niamh White quickly set out to transform these bare rooms. Their aim: to bring colour, kindness and creativity to hospital rooms and hold space for those dealing with mental illness to feel joy on their recovery journey. 

What started out as a one-off project in the Phoenix Unit at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS trust soon evolved to become ‘Hospital Rooms’ – a nationwide charity which collaborates with staff, inpatients, artists and curators to transform NHS mental health spaces. 

Each project is site-specific, so everyone involved responds to the circumstances they find themselves in. This makes for a collection of diverse spaces, each one uniquely beautiful as artists with various styles come together. What’s more, many of the projects see the staff and inpatients picking up paintbrushes and getting involved, allowing them to express their creativity.

Collectively, they strive towards Hospital Rooms’ core mission – to craft innovative artwork while dispelling mental health stigmas and transform spaces into places of hope, dignity and recovery for all.

@_hospitalrooms Painted over 5 days 😍 #hospitalrooms #art #mentalhealth #foryou #artist #painting #charity ♬ Talking To The Moon (TikTok Song) - Ton Sound

The charity has since expanded to running its Digital Art school, which began during the pandemic when the artists were unable to go into hospitals. The series sees acclaimed artists running online classes across several mediums – from working with clay to illustration, fashion and collaging. 

To ensure the classes are accessible for all, anyone can participate and Hospital Rooms sends various art supplies to all 750 of England’s inpatient mental health services. The materials have been generously donated by Windsor & Newton, a manufacturer of world-renowned art materials, which instils Hospital Rooms’ belief in the power of art to stimulate healing through creativity. 

Creative expression (however we choose to do this) really can hold the power to help us heal. It allows us to be seen, offers a safe space for us to process our experiences, and helps us find peace, a sense of calm and even achievement. When we hold a pen, pencil or paintbrush, we begin to feel in control.

If any of this has resonated with you, and you’d like to explore how art could aid your healing journey, you can learn more about the power of creative therapies on Counselling Directory. 

Hospital Rooms aims to reach 180,000 people over the next three years who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness. To find out more about how you can get involved, visit their website: hospital-rooms.com