Photography exhibition to take place at local art gallery

Posted: 25/08/20

A photography exhibition showcasing the work of staff and service users from a local NHS Trust will be taking place at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle next month.

Running from 5-20 September 2020, the exhibition will include photographs from Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), a leading provider of mental health and disability services.

Organised by Dolores O’Doherty and Doug Jobson, both Occupational Therapists at CNTW, the exhibition came from a lockdown photography competition Dolores had held for inpatient wards across the Trust’s sites.

Each participating ward hosted their own internal competition, the winners of which were sent to The Biscuit Factory to judge overall. The winners will be announced by CNTW’s Chief Executive John Lawlor at the exhibition launch at 11am on Saturday 5 September.

Dolores was inspired to start the competition as a way to make staff and patients’ exercise breaks more interesting during lockdown. A lot of patients were getting sick of walking the same routes around hospital sites, whilst staff were spending their breaks indoors and not getting any fresh air.

“It has been a stressful time on the wards so I wanted to do something that would bring teams closer together and allow them to refocus their attention on something positive and creative,” she explained.

“I wanted people to use their imagination and look at their surroundings in a different way. We’re delighted with the entries people have produced and it’s such a special opportunity to have this work displayed at The Biscuit Factory.”

Rachel Brown, General Manager at The Biscuit Factory, said: “We were thrilled when we were approached to be part of the competition and wanted to support in any way possible. The photographic exhibition will provide a very particular and personal viewpoint of what has been an unprecedented collective experience.

“Through the lens of both care provider and patient, we will receive an insight into a hugely private and nuanced experience with shots from moments during lockdown. I expect the exhibition will resonate with everyone who sees it. It’s a privilege for me to be a judge on images that may help us understand that we are as fundamentally united as we are fantastically individual.”

Admission to the exhibition is free and there’s no need to book. Social distancing guidelines will apply in the gallery.

For more information go to: https://www.thebiscuitfactory.com/blogs/news/nhs-photography-exhibition

The money donated for the prizes came from Sir Captain Tom Moore’s fund via the Shine Fund. The Shine Fund is used to provide ‘little extras’ that make a huge difference to a person’s wellbeing and recovery. Find out more about the fund here.