New artwork in adult waiting room Tavistock Centre

To improve patients’ experience, the newly opened waiting room for adults has been decorated with a selection of artwork. The project was led by members of the Art Board in collaboration with clinicians from the Trauma Unit. The walls around the room now feature artworks by two service users of the Trauma Unit, and photo prints from the Frame of Mind collection.

Frame of Mind was a community photography project run within Tavistock services a few years back.

The prints were exhibited at public libraries in Dalston and Swiss Cottage, and now some of them are permanently back at the Tavistock to serve current patients.

Chrysanthi Theodoropoulou, service user representative on the Art Board, said:

“Curated waiting rooms can promote feelings of safety and inclusivity, and provide an escape from distress. We hope that the waiting room will feel like a safe, inclusive space for all during their visit to the Tavistock.”

Art Curator Mat Zaremba said:

“We were delighted to have been asked to decorate the waiting room.

The aim was to make the space less impersonal and more inviting to visitors. We believe that art created by former service users was an apt choice, considering the nature of the space.” The artworks turned out a welcome addition to the waiting room, with patients reporting enthusiastic feedback and indicating their favourite pieces.