28 July 2026
"Photography lets 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 of Sunderland has hosted colleagues and guests to celebrate an innovative photography project which has evolved into a new movement aiming to give NHS staff a voice through creativity.
NHS Darkroom is a participatory photography research project led by Sunderland lecturer, photographer and former NHS nurse, Johannah Churchill(opens in new tab), in partnership with Newcastle Hospitals Charity(opens in new tab).
Since 2022, NHS staff across clinical and non-clinical roles have taken part each year, learning darkroom processes and using them to print images of their own working lives.
Rather than solely being photographed by Johannah, they collaborate - she works with participants to create their own images and print them by hand, shaping how their working lives are seen and understood.
The project has become a space for staff to reflect on their roles, their colleagues, and the nature of care itself, positioning them as authors of their own representation rather than subjects of someone else's lens.
A small exhibition and informal gathering over tea and coffee took place on Thursday 23 July at the University’s Northern Centre of Photography, St Peter’s Campus.
Guests had the chance to view the full body of work, speak with participants about their experience of the darkroom process, and hear more about where the project is headed next.
The exhibition also marked the first year in which the University’s medical students were formally part of the project.
Two third-year medical students, Mercy Igwenwanne and Jessica Lo, undertaking Student Selected Component (SSC) placements, joined NHS Darkroom this year, working alongside NHS staff participants and contributing their own images to the exhibition.
Johannah 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.
“NHS Darkroom gives staff the chance to be the ones holding the camera, telling their own story, in their own way."
This year the project reached a new milestone, with UKRI Participatory Research funding secured to produce a short film documenting the project.
This will allow its process and impact to be captured and shared in a new way, extending its reach beyond the darkroom and the gallery wall.
Year on year, the growing body of images and testimony is also building a cumulative archive of the hospital itself, a visual record of its people, spaces, and working life over time.
The project's impact is now also being formally evaluated by Amanda Ritson, NEPN (North East Photography Network) Project Manager.
Charlie Gregory, Arts Curator at Newcastle Hospitals Charity, 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.
“The project sees Newcastle Hospitals staff develop new creative skills in analogue photography and darkroom practice, while also celebrating the multitude of roles across our NHS trust through their portraits. We look forward to displaying all the work across our trust sites and sharing it with a wider audience.”