New interactive artwork for children with additional needs at King’s College Hospital

06 December 2024 - Children are encouraged to explore the landscape by moving in front of the screen

A new interactive artwork – the first of its kind in the UK – called The Enchanted Forest has been installed in the paediatric department at King’s College Hospital. The artwork is designed to provide sensory stimulation as well as offer uplifting and joyful experiences to children with special educational needs (SEN) and physical disabilities.

The Enchanted Forest is an interactive screen-based experience created by Sony Design. Set within a magical forest landscape lives a mythical goblin and a group of playful fairies who harvest pumpkins by day and play inside the wishing well by night.

Children are encouraged to explore the landscape by moving in front of the screen. Movements are reflected on screen as a light, which causes plants and flowers to grow across the forest floor. Changing pathways of light, and the setting-sun, create the sense of time passing, while the noise of birdsong and rustling leaves enhances a feeling of immersion in the enchanted world. It is accessible to both inpatients and outpatients.

Sarah Harris, Head of Nursing for Child Health at King’s College Hospital, said: “Sensory play is important for all children but for those with additional needs the stimulation can be of particular benefit. We are delighted to have been able to work with partners to enable the installation of the Enchanted Forest here at King’s. We look forward to our young patients interacting with the artwork and taking pleasure from it during their time with us.”

The Enchanted Forest at King’s is a project by Art Explora UK, an organisation supporting inclusion and access to the arts, in collaboration with It Is Now, a French arts non-profit organisation supporting children with special education needs. The content has been produced by Sony Design, and the project has been supported by Art Explora and King’s College Hospital Charity.

Jemima Montagu, Director of Art Explora UK, added: “This project goes to the heart of our mission at Art Explora to offer transformative cultural experiences to people wherever they are – in hospitals, care homes or communities.”

Noemie Ganem, Founder of It is Now, said: “It Is Now is inspired by my son Zach, who was born with a physical disability. Watching Zach grow up, I directly witnessed the positive impact sensory stimulation has on children with SEND, giving them a sense of agency otherwise absent their daily lives.”

Iona Joy, Director of Grants and Insight, King’s College Hospital Charity, added: “As a Charity, prioritising inclusive and accessible care is at the heart of what we do. We are delighted to support this piece of interactive artwork, which will provide sensory stimulation to children with special educational needs (SEN) and physical disabilities, helping to ensure they have the very best support for a better hospital experience.”