Royal visit shines spotlight on art and mental health at Springfield
Earlier this week, Their Royal Highnesses Princess Eugenie and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein of Jordan visited Springfield University Hospital in Tooting to explore the transformative role of art in mental health care.
Led in partnership with arts and mental health charity Hospital Rooms, the visit shone a spotlight on Springfield’s innovative art programme which was completed in 2023.
Vanessa Ford, Chief Executive of South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust said: “It was a pleasure to host Their Royal Highnesses, Princess Eugenie and Princess Rajwa at Springfield University Hospital this week.
“We always welcome the opportunity to highlight the vital work we do for our patients and their families, and to showcase how our groundbreaking art programme has helped make our hospitals more inclusive, break down barriers to care, and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.
“Compassion, creativity, and connection are central to recovery, and our collaboration with Hospital Rooms has created healing spaces that empower both patients and staff.”
During Springfield’s £150m transformation between 2021 and 2023, Hospital Rooms led a series of 120 art workshops with patients, carers and staff, which inspired incredible conversations, collaborations and artwork proposals.
From this, leading artists co-designed 20 vibrant and uplifting artworks that have helped to shape a new creative landscape for mental healthcare in South West London.
From large scale vinyl installations and detailed painted murals including huge multi-wall wrap around designs, the installations have been designed to help reimagine the role of creativity in mental health environments. The programme was funded with support from a number of charitable partners including Arts Council England.
As well as visiting a number of the art installations across the hospital, Princess Eugenie and Princess Rajwa also took the opportunity to visit patients and staff on Bluebell Ward. As the Trust’s Specialist Deaf service, Bluebell is one of three services nationally which provides mental health support to adults who are Deaf, Blind and sight- or hearing-impaired.
The tour also included a stop at the Trust’s Recovery College, a unique service offering a range of courses that empower individuals in recovery to become experts in their own self-care.
