How should a mental health hospital look and feel? It was a question Hospital Rooms, an arts and mental health charity asked the young people using Bluebird House, a ‘hospital’ for 12 to 18year olds with mental health difficulties who have been in touch with the criminal justice system in Southampton. Their feedback and artistic input and that of the staff led, with the help of professional artists (Charley Peters, Richard Woods, Ryan Mosley, Tim A Shaw, Yukako Shibata, and Simon Bayliss), to the creation of extraordinary artwork throughout Bluebird House.

And thanks to a follow up collaboration with Southampton City Art Gallery I was able to enjoy some of the art myself last year. Now I know the next two are not Square, but the majority in this post are, and so I hope everyone will forgive me as I share these. I was rather taken by the spheres and the floor reflections.

Many of the projects that Hospital Rooms had planned for 2020 are on hold because of Covid-19 and so instead they are finding ways to bring their art workshops to secure and locked mental health units digitally. They have also created pages on their website where anyone feeling isolated can get creative. Why not have a go yourself.

By the way if anyone has just joined us and is wondering about my Squares mention; it is a photo-blogging challenge which has been running daily once a month every quarter since September 2017. Anyone can join in the fun. Themes change every quarter, and the only rule is that your main photograph (or the majority in the post) must be square.

106 thoughts

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    1. Kept me amused for ages, the polished reflections that is not the website! I am hopeless at making the time to join art classes online

      btw I have just come inside after an afternoon in the garden with Mari and Christian, as in the Christian you see every Saturday for Tai Chi!! They’re in England for 2 weeks and popped in to see us (in the garden of course) en route to their next place

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      1. No self quarantine? Seems to me people make up their own rules. James is dithering over coming here for a week because of the FC0 advice on non essential travel and quarantine. 🤔💕

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        1. Their visit is an essential trip, and we were literally a pit-stop between their arrival overnight accommodation off ferry and the final destination where they will be self quarantined. So they are definitely are not making up their own rules.

          Can understand James’s hesitation though if flying and it is the return which could be tricky for him. So frustrating though when your numbers are lower than ours.

          Could you come across for summer?

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        2. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude about your friends. Sour grapes! 🤨 James doesn’t have a job to go back to so I can’t see it being an issue. Lauren is more of a worry. Our coming over won’t help them much. A holiday away from Leeds would be a lot better, even if there are issues. It could change again on 27th! If they decide not to come,. we’ll come over but I don’t know when. 🤔💕

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        3. The whole thing is a mess isn’t it. The UK government has mismanaged from the start, so difficult for everyone. Hope you’re able to find a cunning and safe visit plan for them xx

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    1. Thanks Debbie 🙂 I was so impressed by their work I’ve become a friend of the charity. We need all the creativity we can get in these strange times

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      1. I like how the colours appear to blend with each other, but they are definitely separate. I like colour wheels for the same reason. I’m easily pleased!

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