Publish date: 11 July 2024
Artist sought to design sculpture to take pride of place in new hospital
A call has gone out for artists in north Northumberland and beyond to design a major artwork to grace the state-of-the-art new hospital in Berwick.
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is investing £35 million in the new community hospital on the current Berwick Infirmary site to significantly enhance patient and staff experience.
The plan is to hang a mobile sculpture in the atrium/reception area at the main entrance of the hospital. This will be a prominent location with a high footfall, so the right artist is being sought to design the artwork that will feature here.
The chosen artwork will create a sense of welcome and improve the experience for staff, patients and other visitors entering the hospital. It should also support wellbeing and have a connection to Berwick.
The selected artist will also commit to engaging with the local community as part of the development of the final sculpture.
The project is funded and supported by Northumbria Healthcare’s Bright charity, which for the past 20 years has developed an award-winning healing arts programme to enhance the hospital environment for patients, visitors, and staff.
Healing Arts programme manager, Katie Dawson, said: “The new hospital is part of our commitment to provide as much healthcare as possible in local communities, so we really want this artwork to be enjoyed by the people of Berwick and the surrounding area. It is also crucial that the community is involved and can help shape the process and final sculpture.
“At the same time, we want to give artists the freedom to explore their creativity, which is why we have not dictated any themes for the piece, which really will set the tone for anyone coming into the hospital once it opens next year.”
Artists have until noon on Tuesday, August 6, to submit their expression of interest. All the details can be found at https://
You can also book onto an online information session, which will take place at 1pm on Wednesday, July 24, to allow interested artists to find out more.