Working to enhance hospital environments for patients, visitors, and staff.
For the past 20 years, Bright has developed an award-winning healing arts programme.
Our work is all about providing art exhibitions, events, artist-led workshops, performances, community projects, and live music – all to benefit our patients and staff.
Many of our hospital corridors are used as gallery spaces – we show work by professional artists, community groups, patients, staff, schools, and universities.
Research has shown that having access to the arts can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Engaging with the arts can also provide a welcome distraction, particularly when in a clinical hospital environment.
During the first years, the charity partnered with Northumbria University’s Professor Gerda Roper to launch a number of innovative award-winning arts projects.
The first of which, Images of Trust, led to an archive of valuable photographs taken by Ikuko Tsuchiya, which documented a year in the life of the trust at the beginning of the 21st century.
In 2002 the trust developed the Teardrop Garden at Wansbeck General hospital working with Professor Chris Dorsett, and the Ryu Group of Japanese arts students, from Northumbria University. The trust supported five Arts in Health doctoral programmes to evidence the benefit of the arts as a healing medium.
In preparation for the opening of the new Hexham General Hospital in 2003, Professor Gerda Roper curated an arts programme which enabled MA and PhD students to have a permanent exhibition of their work, whilst enhancing the hospital environment.
Our projects
Sum.Place
Berwick Infirmary
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.
Monument One
Health & Care Academy, NSECH
A thought-provoking piece by a high-profile artist is hosted in our new academy.
Diversity exhibition
North Tyneside General Hospital
Northumbria staff celebrate diversity in an inspiring exhibition. This exhibition features staff with heritage from overseas, as well as disabled, neurodiverse, and D/deaf staff.
The Dales School
Blyth and Wansbeck
New photography exhibitions showcasing the work of primary-aged pupils from The Dales School – a specialist Northumberland school for children with special educational needs.
King Edward Primary
North Tyneside General Hospital
An inspiring new exhibition from King Edward Primary School in Tynemouth marks the 800th anniversary of North Shields, celebrating the town’s proud heritage through the eyes of its youngest residents.
Sum.Place
Berwick Infirmary
Bright’s healing arts team called for local artists to submit artwork, showcasing talent within the community. Submissions were welcome from professionals, amateurs and student pursing higher education in the arts.
Our collaborations
Music in Hospitals & Care
Our partnership with Music in Hospitals & Care brings live music performances to our hospital sites.
Patients, visitors and staff enjoy the music on wards or in our public spaces, improving mental and emotional health.
Music helps people feel more connected to each other and unlocks all kinds of emotions, giving a bit of respite from their stay in hospital.
Staff Creative Writing Group
Creative writer and poet, Anita Holbrow, meets with our brilliant staff members to get creative and express themselves through writing.
The sessions help our staff to relax, unwind, learn a new skill, and connect with others.
Enhancing the environment
Over recent years the charity has been able to undertake a number of award-winning healing environment projects, working with staff and patients, to design areas that provide a more relaxed and homely environment away from busy clinical areas.
