Newcastle Hospitals Charity and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art have teamed up with renowned photographer Johannah Churchill for 2025’s edition of Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s NHS Darkroom.

NHS Darkroom was launched in 2023 as part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s Arts Programme which aims to enhance the wellbeing and recovery of patients and staff across Newcastle Hospitals. The programme supports a range of projects across all mediums, helping to engage patients and communities in the work of the hospitals and support the mental health and wellbeing of NHS staff.

NHS Darkroom is an ongoing project with Sunderland-based photographer, lecturer and former nurse Johannah Churchill, supported by University of Sunderland, where staff from Newcastle Hospitals are invited to develop their skills and experience in photography.

For this iteration, inspired by the exhibition Come As You Really Are in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Main Gallery, Newcastle Hospitals staff have been invited to share their own hobbies, crafts or collections which bring them joy, keep them well and provide a creative outlet. Staff will sit for a professional portrait taken by Johannah and take part in a photography workshop to develop their own photographs of their hobbies, crafts and collections which will be displayed across Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection Space and Newcastle Hospital sites.

About Johannah Churchill

Johannah Churchill (b. Newcastle, UK) is a photographer, lecturer in Contemporary Photography at University of Sunderland and former NHS nurse. Her photographic work focuses on telling stories about people’s lives shaped by the connection to ourselves and to each other. Moving between portraiture and documentary, her practice is characterised by an emotional exploration of what it is to be human. Her central concerns are people, wellbeing, connection and belonging, continually drawing from her own life and experiences working in healthcare. Her work is held in major national collections including National Portrait Gallery, London and Welcome Collection, London. In 2024, Churchill was shortlisted for Portrait of Britain for her photograph Yann 2023.