Bethlem Gallery’s annual exhibition of work by inpatients from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust’s forensic services will this year be displayed in the Bethlem Gallery for the first time.

The exhibition at the gallery on Monks Orchard Road runs from October 16 to November 16, entrance is free, with opening hours from 9.30am to 5pm Wednesday to Saturday.

The works on show include painting, drawing, photography, music, spoken word and sculpture.

As well as featuring the work of artists currently living at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, this exhibition will also showcase artists who have been discharged. Many of these artists have remained working with the gallery and use the process of making art to support their successful transition into local communities.

The exhibition’s title Unescorted plays on a term that describes a type of leave given to a patient who is held under section (detained). Unescorted leave enables a patient to physically leave the locked ward without being accompanied by a member of staff. Forensic services support people in the criminal justice system.

“I have had the privilege of working with the artists in forensic services for many years, where I have observed art practices develop from curiosity to passion,” said Amanda Glynn, the artist development lead at the Bethlem Gallery.

“The work the artists do while on the ward helps them to make sense of the environment they find themselves in. It also helps them find a way to communicate who they are and what they are experiencing.

“Often art materials are difficult to obtain, so anything in reach becomes a surface for expression or a way to communicate with people around them.

“The pizza box becomes the blank canvas after the margarita has been eaten.”

Sophie Leighton, the Bethlem Gallery’s director, said: “This exhibition gives a glimpse of the diversity of art made on site and reflects a long-term collaboration between Bethlem Gallery and forensic services.

“The use of materials and range of work reveals the artists’ and gallery team’s resourcefulness, skill and imagination, and ranges over themes including concepts of home, imaginary beasts, and togetherness.”

Bethlem Gallery is a visual arts organisation in south-east London. Established in 1997 at Bethlem Royal Hospital, and working across south London and the the country, they support the professional development and socially engaged practice of the artists they work with. “We bridge communities, aiming to make art an everyday practice and mental health an everyday conversation.”

• The Bethlem Gallery, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, London, BR3 3BX is served by the SL5 Superloop bus from East Croydon every 15 minutes.
• For more information, visit the website at https://bethlemgallery.com/

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