Shaping a mental health service
Advance customer Chris Rose is helping to shape a new mental health inpatient service in Bristol through his artwork.
The Kingfisher Unit, delivered by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, is a new service for autistic people and people with a learning disability. The unit is expected to open in Spring 2026.
Through a collaboration with Hospital Rooms and Art in Motion, artists with lived experience have been commissioned to create artwork for the space.
Hospital Rooms is a national charity that commissions artists to help make mental health wards feel more welcoming and warmer through artwork, supporting people that are experiencing mental health issues and treatment.
Chris, who has been part of Art in Motion since 2015, is one of the contributing artists. Art in Motion is a dynamic organisation that collaborates with learning-disabled and neurodivergent artists to create artwork.
“I was at City of Bristol College doing a Life Skills course and Colin, who runs Art in Motion, was a teacher there,” Chris explains. “A few years later he phoned me and said, ‘I’m starting a new art group, would you like to join?’ I’ve been part of AIM ever since.”
Chris is currently working alongside fellow artist Louise Morgan in their studio, creating a series of large-scale animal paintings for the reception area of the unit. The artwork is due to be installed around April 2026.
“The piece is made up of big paintings,” he says. “There’s one large board and some slightly smaller ones. The art focuses on animals to help people feel relaxed when they’re in hospital. It’s going in reception so it will be seen as soon as you walk in.”
For Chris, knowing his work will be one of the first things people see matters.
“It’s good that our art will be on display and seen by lots and lots of people. We’re creating it with other artists but we’ve all got our own separate bits. It’s nice because it will make the space feel more like a bedroom in your home rather than a hospital room.”
Louis Caseley, Project Curator with Hospital Rooms for The Kingfisher Unit, said:
“Hospital Rooms is dedicated to transforming mental health inpatient spaces through creative collaboration. At The Kingfisher, a new service for autistic people and people with a learning disability, we’ve worked closely with artists, Art in Motion and other partners to ensure lived experience is at the heart of every artwork
“Contributors like Chris bring authenticity and warmth to the project, helping us create environments that support wellbeing and offer moments of calm and connection for the people who will use the space. Chris’s sense of humour and love of animals are central to his artwork and the paintings he’s producing with Louise Morgan for the service and their responsive approach to the project has been invaluable. It’s been a joy to work with him.”
Chris’s involvement reflects Advance’s commitment to supporting customers to pursue their interests and contribute to projects that make a real difference in local communities.