For young patients at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, the journey from the children's ward to the operating theatres is a daunting one. The corridors are busy, clinical and disorienting.

The brief was to create an interactive art trail that would encourage children to move through the space with enthusiasm and energy. The value wasn't just creative; research shows art reduces pre-surgical anxiety, which in turn improves post-operative recovery.

I worked closely with the Arts In Health Service Manager, the play team, paediatric nursing staff, and BAYouth — the youth advisory panel — to develop a solution. The insight that shaped everything: the trail needed to offer escapism and momentum.

The trail begins the moment you leave the ward. Two flagship characters greet you at the corridor junction: a dancing alpaca and a leaping monkey, each facing a different direction towards a different theatre. From that moment, every animal on the trail is encouraging the children onwards.

Across approximately twenty locations, the trail unfolds through funny poses, acrobatics, child-friendly vehicles, and even motorised carrots. It’s designed to work for different ages and interests: things to find and moves to mimic for younger children, and film title puzzles to solve for older ones. The trail concludes with a climactic mural for each theatre destination — a space scene and a conga line.

The central premise is simple: to get from one place to the next, in the most creative way possible.

The trail has been warmly received by staff, patients and families, and is now part of the fabric of the hospital. Since completing the work the project has been expanded to include an additional mural space and an accompanying activity book.