The art of recovery
Patients and their families on the neurosciences unit at The Royal London Hospital can now benefit from a new-look day room which has been transformed thanks to the installation of new artwork.
Shaped by the lived experience of our patients on wards 12E and 12F, the aim of the artwork, as set out by lead artist, Billy Mann, was to create a place which supports expression, connection, and a sense of agency for patients adjusting to life after a traumatic brain injury.
The project was part of a collaboration between Vital Arts, Headway East London and artist Billy Mann.
Colour plays an important role in the collection: blues express sadness and reflection, greens suggest balance and stability, while warmer tones bring humour, vibrancy and resilience - a palette shaped in conversation with staff.
Molly Hilling, lead nurse for acute brain injury at The Royal London Hospital, said: “For our patients, days in the hospital after brain injury can be long and boring all the while we tell our patients to keep busy. This project helped with just that, filling our Wednesday mornings with chaos and creativity and patients absolutely loved it – I had a 40-year old account who had never picked up a paint brush before, painting for hours.
“This project and Headway East London breaks the mold that structured therapy with therapists is the only treatment for a brain injury- anything can be rehab”
Running along the corridors are Billy’s stitched works, chosen by a panel of clinical staff. These feature small, labelled leaves and fragments of maps, motifs that have recurred in his practice since his own brain injury. My New Brain is a stitch work of his earliest painting at Headway; an imagined picture of his “new” brain - full of random shapes and colours. In contrast, the stitched leaves and maps reflect his post-injury search for structure and pattern, while still allowing playful shifts in form and colour. Billy continues to return to these botanicals and maps as touchstones in his artistic process.
In the dayrooms, interactive cupboards invite patients and visitors to continue creating, ensuring the space remains active, social and connected - a living installation that supports self-expression, reflection and healing.
Billy said: “This project has been a gift, we talked about it for such a long time but it was something I just needed to get done.
“To have everyone together – staff and patients – enjoying themselves with art, was great.
“The result has been better than I thought it ever would be.”
Vital Arts, the arts organisation for Barts Health NHS Trust, commissions and curates art, design and Creative Health projects across the Trust’s hospitals to enhance patient and staff wellbeing. Working closely with clinical teams, artists and community partners, Vital Arts transforms hospital spaces into uplifting, supportive environments, bringing together creative health practice, patient voice, and clinical insight to improve everyday experiences on the wards.
Billy is a long-standing member of Headway East London, a charity supporting people living with brain injury. It also runs Submit to Love Studios, the home to a group of artists living with a brain injury.
Sarah Lantsbury, chief executive for Headway East London, said: “This collaboration builds on our ten year partnership with the Royal London Hospital and reflects everything we strive for at Headway East London - creating welcoming spaces where people with lived experience of brain injury can be seen, heard and valued."
“Billy’s work brings a touch of the Headway magic onto the ward. Showcasing the talent and perspective of our members in this setting is powerful, reminding us of the person behind the injury.
“We hope this project offers inspiration for patients beginning their rehabilitation, while strengthening the bridge between clinical care and community life after brain injury.”
This project was supported by Barts Charity, AkzoNobel development, and Praxis Limited.
Fiona Miller Smith, Barts Charity’s Chief Executive, said: “Barts Charity is proud to support projects that create inviting and welcoming spaces for our diverse population across Barts Health hospitals. Thanks to the incredible work of artist Billy Mann, in collaboration with staff and patients on the Neuroscience wards, these two beautifully renovated day rooms will support patients who have undergone life changing injuries and trauma. They will provide a safe space for patients to begin the process of rehabilitation.”