Creative workshops to support artwork development for new community hospital in Berwick

As part of the on-going development of the new hospital in Berwick, Sum.Place has been commissioned by Bright, Northumbria Healthcare’s official charity, to design a mobile sculpture that celebrates its heritage.

Three workshops were held for members of the public to come along and take part in creative activities, share their stories about Berwick and discuss their thoughts about artwork in hospitals.

Many rich conversations were had with people who told their stories and reflected on local history, and their personal connections to the town and hospital.

Further workshops were held with staff at Berwick Infirmary and Year 9 and 10 students at Berwick Academy.

Amongst staff, there was a clear enthusiasm for the project and an eagerness to be working in a refreshed environment. Key discussions were around how the addition of artwork to the state-of-the-art hospital will create a visually engaging space that will boost staff morale and support patient well-being and recovery.

Talking about the workshops, Nic Quinn, creative producer from Sum.Place, said: “We have come in contact with such a wide range of people from school age and toddlers in the library, up to an amazing 94-year-old woman that we met who was also an artist.

“So we’ve heard some incredible stories and really got a sense of what this project means to the people of Berwick.”