International nurses to share stories at Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery

The ‘Through My Lens’ project, a collaboration between the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust and the charity Bridging Arts, will be exhibited from March 2025 as part of a major relaunch of Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery (formerly known as the Royal Cornwall Museum).

In 2023, a group of international nurses from the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, took part in a series of photography workshops around Cornwall. The workshops were run by the charity Bridging Arts. Susan Roberts, Director of Bridging Arts, explains:

“The work of the charity and the ‘Through My Lens’ project is to break down barriers and increase understanding of the vital role played by people born overseas in the Cornish economy, and in the health service especially.Working under the guidance of Penzance-based photographer Mike Newman, the workshops provided a unique and much-needed opportunity for new colleagues at the hospital to meet and interact with local people and learn some new photography skills at the same time.”

In 2023 and 2024, the Communication Team at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) spoke to several of the nurses involved about their experience with the project as well as their experiences living and working as part of a new community. This would form the basis of the ‘through my lens’ series of video interviews.

Photographs taken by four of the nurses as part of the Bridging Arts sessions will now be exhibited in Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery for a 6-month period, beginning in March 2025. Video interviews with the nurses produced by the RCHT communications team will also be exhibited, along with short written statements from those interviewed.

Alison Thorne-Henderson, Dual Chief People Officer for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “At RCHT, we welcome and value the support of our international colleagues and the incredible work they do. The skills they bring, and their contribution to care and the community more widely, cannot be understated, and it’s a tremendous privilege to be able to share their stories and experiences as part of this project.”

Lauren Campbell, Engagement Manager at the Museum said: ‘Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery is really excited to host the stories, photographs and objects of the international nurses who work here. These professionals support communities in Cornwall which is not a story that’s told or celebrated often enough. We’re excited for this exhibition to form part of the new Heart of Cornwall gallery, launching in March 2025.’