News story

Creative workshops to support artwork development for new community hospital

Art production practice Sum.Place has held a series of creative workshops to meet and talk with Berwick residents about their proposed sculpture for the atrium of the town’s new community hospital.

As part of the ongoing development of the new hospital in Berwick, Sum.Place have been commissioned by Bright, Northumbria Healthcare’s official charity, to design a mobile sculpture which celebrates Berwick’s heritage.

This project was organised by Bright’s healing arts programme which enhances hospital environments and creates welcome distractions for patients, visitors and staff.

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. One member of the public spoke about his family’s history with salmon fishing and how the impact of the changes in the industry have been felt by each generation. This directly links with the new sculpture which will be a shoal of salmon following the shape of the River Tweed.

Another resident spoke about her life as an artist and her interest in bringing artwork to a publicly accessible space and was eager to hear more about the inspiration and the processes behind the design of the sculpture.

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 wellbeing and recovery.

Gary Miller, lead porter at Berwick Infirmary, said: “I think it’s going to be a real nice impact coming into the hospital. If people feel better, they heal quicker and they feel great in themselves, and so do the staff if they see nice bit of artwork instead of a blank canvas.”

Berwick Academy students took part in a workshop as part of their scheduled art lesson where they had the opportunity to express their creativity and explore ideas for public art installations that support local communities, inspired by the heritage of the town. Not only did the workshop allow them to learn about the project and think about the links between artwork and public health, but it gave students exposure to creatives working locally and to see art as a potential career choice.

Dawn Tait, art teacher at Berwick Academy, said: “I’ve taught art for a few years and what students struggle with is the idea of how you can make a living being an artist and that it’s more than just making a painting and selling it for a lot of money. So these types of activities are really useful for giving a little bit more context to the real life of an artist, particularly when it’s public artwork.”

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.

“Everybody’s had a different response and it’s really kind of prompted conversations about people’s own practice and what art means to them.”

Katie Dawson, healing arts programme manager, said “It’s been great to see the community showing an interest and an eagerness to get involved in this project and we only hope that this will continue as the project progresses. Art has the unique ability to transform a space and we want to create an environment that is welcoming to all those who enter the hospital.

“By attending the workshops, people will be able to view the sculpture and feel connected to the process and the journey of bringing the new hospital to life, strengthening the bonds between the community and the town.”

The next stages of the project and more opportunities to get involved will be announced soon.