University NHS photo scheme to become documentary
University of SunderlandA project to give NHS staff a voice through creativity is set to be captured in a short film.
Sunderland University's NHS Darkroom has been teaching clinical and non-clinical staff to take and print their own images since 2022, to "shape how their working lives are seen and understood".
The research project, led by lecturer, photographer and former NHS nurse Johannah Churchill in partnership with Newcastle Hospitals Charity, has now secured funding to create a short documentary.
Churchill said the scheme allowed staff to tell "their own story in their own way".
She said: "Photography and the arts let us tell the stories that don't always get told, and to build bridges between people who might not otherwise see each other's lives."
The university's medical students also took part in the project for the first time this year, with an exhibition bringing participants together last week.
University of SunderlandThe University of Sunderland said Darkroom's growing hospital archive was creating a "visual record of its people, spaces, and working life over time".
Arts curator at Newcastle Hospitals Charity, Charlie Gregory, said: "NHS Darkroom is brilliant platform for Newcastle Hospitals staff to share their stories and experiences through photography, and its ambition continues to grow year on year."
