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Overview

Play and See is a participatory digital arts installation designed by Charlie Hooper-Williams and piloted in partnership with the Royal United Hospitals NHS Trust (RUH) in Bath. The project transforms a piano into an interactive platform that generates real-time animations and light in response to musical play, offering an open, accessible, and intuitive experience for children, families, and staff. Originally trialed at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, Play and See is now being implemented on the Paediatric Ward at RUH, with the Musician in Residence, Frankie Simpkins, leading the pilot and a music therapist engaged in evaluating its impact. The project is set to commence in March/April 2026, aiming to provide a creative, low-pressure activity for children, families, and staff in a clinical setting.

Approaches & Methodology

Play and See is grounded in co-design and participatory arts, with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity. The installation invites users of all ages and abilities to explore sound and visuals through hands-on musical play. The system is step-free and wheelchair-friendly, designed for use at the bedside or in playrooms, and requires no specialist training. The approach is holistic and non-pathologising, supporting wellbeing without labelling participants as “ill” or “patients.” The project is implemented in collaboration with Art at the Heart of the RUH, which brings extensive experience in delivering arts programmes in healthcare environments. Evaluation will include anecdotal feedback, routine monitoring data, narrative evaluation, formal internal evaluation, and independent research.

Aims & Objectives

The primary aims are to:

  • Reduce anxiety and improve mood in children undergoing treatment.
  • Provide an accessible, creative activity that promotes autonomy and distraction.
  • Offer a calm, engaging space within stressful clinical settings.
  • Support staff by providing a tool that children can use independently, reducing pressure on play teams.
  • Create a scalable, hospital-safe digital arts intervention that can be adopted by other hospitals.

Outcomes & Measured Impact

As the project is due to launch in Spring 2026, formal outcomes are pending. However, the pilot at Arnolfini Gallery demonstrated strong audience engagement and positive feedback across all ages and experience levels. Anticipated short-term impacts include reduced anxiety, improved mood, and increased autonomy for children. Long-term impacts aim to establish a durable digital-arts resource for RUH, provide clear evaluation data for scaling, and create a model for national adoption in healthcare settings.

Key Enablers

  • Intuitive, hands-on design requiring no training.
  • Step-free, wheelchair-friendly access.
  • Proven engagement and positive feedback from initial gallery pilot.
  • Strong partnership with Art at the Heart of the RUH, which supports integration into clinical practice.
  • Support from Bath Spa University’s Innovation Fund.

Key Challenges/Barriers

  • Ensuring the installation meets clinical health and safety standards.
  • Adapting the system for infection control and ease of use in a hospital environment.
  • Gathering robust evaluation data to support future scaling and adoption.
  • Engaging staff and families in the use and ongoing development of the installation.

Demographics, Settings & Referral Routes

Demographics: The primary target group is children and young people (early years to adolescents) on the Paediatric Ward at RUH, including those with physical, sensory, hidden, and learning disabilities, as well as neurodivergent individuals. The installation is also accessible to families, young adults, and older adults.

Settings: It is designed for use in acute hospital settings.

Referral Routes: Participants are engaged via secondary care professionals (Allied Health Professionals, Occupational Therapists, Community Mental Health Teams, Psychiatrists) and through the hospital’s play and music therapy teams. The installation is designed to be accessible for self-directed use by patients and families.

Evaluation Methods

Evaluation will use a combination of anecdotal feedback, routine monitoring data (participant numbers, demographics, attendance), narrative evaluation (structured storytelling, reflective journals), formal internal evaluation, and independent research. The project is committed to ethical practice, participant consent, and safeguarding, with a music therapist engaged in evaluating impact and outcomes.

Participant & Stakeholder Feedback

Formal feedback will be collected after the project launches in Spring 2026. The initial pilot at Arnolfini Gallery received strong positive responses from participants of all ages and backgrounds, highlighting the installation’s accessibility, engagement, and potential for positive impact in clinical settings.

Alignment with National Strategy & System Learning

Play and See aligns with national strategies for digital technology, evidence and impact, health inequalities, and health and care settings. The project supports the integration of creative technology into clinical wellbeing practice, offers a model for scalable digital arts interventions, and contributes to system learning on the role of participatory arts in healthcare.

This Case Study was submitted as part of a call out for Createch Case Studies, and demonstrates good practice in digital innovation within creative health.

Innovation & Digital Transformation

Play and See exemplifies healthcare innovation by merging live musical performance with generative digital visuals in an accessible, hospital-ready format. The project bridges creative technology and clinical wellbeing, offering a replicable and scalable digital arts intervention for paediatric healthcare settings. By fostering creativity, autonomy, and wellbeing, the project addresses gaps in hospital activities for children and provides a model for integrating participatory arts and technology into clinical practice.