7 February 2025
Transformation through art for Magnolia Ward’s Maple Room
Recently, our Arts Team were asked to help transform Magnolia Ward’s Maple Room, a space where children are examined for signs of abuse.
When invited to visit the Maple Room, we were shown a series of old pictures and a group of peeling stickers. ‘This is the only art on display’, the staff explained, ‘the only resource that could help distract and relive a child from their traumatic experience.’ Magnolia Ward, then, was keen to commission a permanent artwork that could affect positive change, something for both children and staff to engage with during the examination process.
For this commission, we collaborated with artist Ozzy Crawley to create a narrative mural wherein playful shapes and symbols joyfully guide children across a landscape. Ozzy’s mural, shapes and colours’, encourages children to find their way between leaves, grasses, and trees toward a central ladder that leads them up into a star-filled sky, then down upon a wavey rainbow and out along a wiggly stream. This journey allows children a moment of respite by becoming immersed in something other than their examination.
When asked about the Maple Room project, Ozzy said “It was an amazing experience [and] was great to collaborate with the team and the ward on creating a design to make a positive impact on the space and the people in it.” Magnolia Ward’s staff were impressed with how Ozzy’s mural improved the Maple Room’s atmosphere by making the space feel bright and lively. “The journey it takes you on is easy to follow and can be interpreted in playful ways”, said one nurse, “And the shapes and symbols have effectively relaxed and distracted our patients”.
The mural is now a permanent feature of the Maple Room, offering comfort, engagement, and a sense of adventure for the children who visit. This project is just one example of how Southampton Hospitals Charity is working to improve hospital spaces and experiences for patients of all ages.
We are incredibly proud to have been part of this transformation, and we thank Ozzy Crawley for their creative vision and dedication to making a difference.
If you would like to support more projects like this, please donate today.