Starship X-ray is an arts/design project exploring ways of creating a child friendly clinical hospital space through the innovation and imagination of artists working with patients and staff.

The project was generously funded by the Thomas Cook Children’s Charity. This sponsorship agreement was negotiated by the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charities Team The art and design work, creative sessions with staff and patients, project management, installation procedures and all related clinical protocols were managed by Lime Arts.

Staff and children requested the theme of ‘SPACE’ There happen to be nine camera rooms in the department and nine planets in the solar system Each room became a re-imagined planet, for example Neptune – planet of oceans Reception is the star-ship and the journey is to the planets in the company of little robots made by the children and X-ray images they took of their toys

Main entrance doors

Entrance corridor

Meet the Raybots – characters made by the children from bits of old tech

Each Raybot was made by a different child and has a name and a special mission!

Raybot displays

Reception (Starship Bridge)

Lightboxes, light displays and interactive digital play

Reception waiting area light boxes

Camera room doors – the planets!

Mars - CT Red Planet of Rings

CT camera room

Saturn – Ultra Sound Planet of Sound

Ultra Sound waiting area with interactive sound installation.

Ultra Sound scanner rooms are dimly lit hence light box art works made from children’s collages.

Neptune – Fluoroscopy 2 Planet of Oceans

Neptune camera room

Mercury – Xray room 1 Planet of Speed

Mercury camera room

Uranus – Fluoroscopy 2 Planet of Waterfalls

Uranus camera room

Jupiter – MRI scanner Planet of Magnetism

Jupiter – MRI Scanner Planet of magnetism

Earth – planet of land and sea

Earth, Xray room 2

Venus – planet of light

Venus camera room

Xray room 3

Pluto – Nuclear medicine Planet of Crystals

Pluto Sub wait play Space and camera room

Corridor - Space Gallery The discs are acrylic folders for children’s changing artwork

Space facts

Project Manager – Brian Chapman Artist: Brian Chapman, Dawn Prescott, Rob Vale Special thanks from Lime Arts to all the Radiologists, Radiographers, Play Specialist and Reception Staff in the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Radiology department. Thanks to key helpers and technicians Clinton Pilkinton, John Lancaster and Sodexo electricians, painters and joiners. Thanks to Boex design, Fablab (digital) and GBM (print and production)