Art as Therapy

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How photography gave users of Stonefield House a sense of belonging in their new facilities.

Nightingale Associates is passionate about designing buildings that not only cater for the individual needs of its users, but also improve their general wellbeing. It is imperative that a building can fulfil its function and also makes its occupants feel comfortable in their surroundings. Art-therapy is a fantastic way of expressing oneself creatively and helping an individual’s personal development. In their latest project, Nightingale Associates have combined art-therapy with interior design to create a contemporary new mental health/rehabilitation ward for St George’s Hospital, Stafford, called Stonefield House.

A winning image showing just how creative therapy can be

The stigma surrounding mental health and rehabilitation units is not unfounded. Historically, units were very clinical and unwelcoming, with limited facilities and schemes to help patients enjoy their time in recovery. However, times have changed; hospitals and numerous charities in the UK now provide the funding to make facilities more comfortable for patients, and offer more opportunities to improve the quality of life and rehabilitation for those who need it. Nightingale Associates have been working with both NHS and private hospitals for 20 years to improve the design of hospitals to cater for patients’ special needs.

Working with the trust, Nightingale’s decided to incorporate the artistic talents of Stonefield’s users into the design to create an inviting and personalised environment. Users were encouraged to take part in a photographic competition which would be turned into wall-art for display in communal areas.
Over the course of four sessions, the users were taught how to use the cameras and were permitted to enter the building during its construction to capture interesting shots of the building process. Under the guidance of staff and occupational therapists’, they selected 12 of their favourite images to be turned into art. The images have been printed in monochrome, with certain features picked out in colour to fit in with the interior design. The striking images give a real sense of the users’ perspectives and will be mounted in the room from where they were taken to give a sense of ‘before and after’.

View from Stonefield House overlooking construction site

By letting patients go behind the scenes and actively selecting the wall-art not only helps them to feel at ease with the new facilities, but also helps to create a more comfortable and homely environment. The use of photography in this way is known as “Therapeutic Photography” – photography conducted by individuals for artistic and creative exploration. It differs from “Phototherapy” which is the use of photographs within the framework of formal therapy, for example, during counselling.

To continue this artistic venture, when the LSU (Low Secure Unit) reopens in October 2010, users will be able to take part in a weekly art group, which will be self-funded. Installing an art activity programme for users is a great way for them to get to know each other in an informal and sociable setting. Many of the users stay in the facility any time from a few days, up to 2-3 years, so there is a regular client group to work with. The majority of Stonefield users are male and are aged between 18 and 80; therefore trying to design a building and find activities to suit everyone is problematic. However, because art is generally thought of as a universal pastime, people of all ages can enjoy it. Using photography is especially stimulating to male users as it is considered as a particularly masculine-friendly art form and was a fun way to launch the scheme.

Users had the opportunity to capture the construction team at work

In general, artistic therapy is a worthwhile practice that can be applied to our daily lives. Developing your own artistry (in any medium, whether through photography, sculpting, drawing or painting) allows individuals to express themselves in a positive way, helping to relieve stress and increase self-esteem. And if anything, art helps people to escape from day-to-day life and focus their attention on one task, which is a difficult thing to do when juggling priorities and having so many distractions in life.

The Stonefield House ward, part of the Michael Flanagan building, along with a £30 million redevelopment project for Shelton Hospital, is Nightingale’s seventh project for their client, South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The £3.2 million ward was built as part of a two-phase project in which an existing building is being re-used as the main hub of the scheme. The colourful new ward has a contemporary feel, with wood floors, bright furniture and large windows to make the most of the natural light.

A room with a view

In pursuit of good design and innovation, Nightingale Associates hope to enter this project for the 2011 BBH (Building Better Healthcare) Awards for Best Use of Visual Art in Healthcare as well as Best Interior and Best Sustainable Design categories. Thanks to a strong relationship with the Trust and their commitment to good mental health design, Nightingale Associates was shortlisted for Best Interiors in Mental Health in 2008, and were also highly commended in the Product Design category for the Norbury Lounge Chair.

The photographic artwork was created with the assistance of Brighton based company, alonglines.

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