Over the course of a year, we connected with a range of people who benefited from a free at the point of use health service, including not just those who worked within it but those who used it. We also spoke to those migrated from throughout the globe to support the newly-formed NHS and further develop its foundations. In the wake of the Second World War, with Britain experiencing severe labour shortages, nearly half a million people moved from the Caribbean to Britain, dubbed the ‘Windrush generation.’ Many made up the workforce of the NHS. We celebrated how this history of the healthcare workforce forms part of our heritage as a nation. Many of those we connected with remain part of the NHS today, showing their enduring hard work and commitment. 

We used this project as a unique opportunity to take these stories and bring them to life through visual arts and the written word. This showed an innovative way of looking at public health through the lens of our society and community. A small part of the exhibition toured in various venues across Leeds, including the Thackray Museum of Medicine, Chapeltown Library and The Old Fire Station in Gipton. The final exhibition was at Leeds Central Library, on display from the 13th June to 5th July 2019.  It contained a book documenting 12 of the stories collected, with photographs of the contributors, three banners, crafted in traditional Trade Union style, doctor’s screens which are printed with photographs and quotes, a unique appliquéd chair that included HMT Empire Windrush, the ship many Caribbean migrants who worked for the NHS arrived on and embroidered textile bunting. 

It was a fantastic experience to see a projection of health and society within art, and the exhibition is now part of Thackray Museum of Medicine’s permanent collection. 

We are grateful to those we connected with who took the time to share their memories with us. Through this we were able to form a truly co-created celebratory piece. Their unique insight breathes life into how we understand our relationship with the NHS - public health is something that impacts us all, and every individual story interlaces into the fabric of our society. Here’s to many Happy Returns to our NHS!

Space2 would like to thank all of the groups, individuals and partners who shared their stories about NHS, and helped us create this exhibition, Many Happy Returns.

Hospital Alert
Keep Our NHS Public Leeds
Dementia Café Group (Feel Good Factor)
Busy Fingers Group (Feel Good Factor)
Tea and Toast Group (Zest)
Seacroft Men’s Group (Space2)
Threading Tales Group (Space2)
Coffee Morning Group (Shantona Women’s Centre)
Mustard Seed Café Community Group at Church of the Epiphan
Seacroft Grange Residential Home Residents
New Testament Church of God Community Group
After Hours Saturdays Social Group (Feel Good Factor)
Space2’s Many Happy Returns Volunteers
Thackray Medical Museum Volunteers
Beatrice Rogers, Audrey Howorth, Stephen Derrick, Isabel Winslow, Gilda Peterson,
Ian Charles, Maureen Idle, Bharti Dhamecha, Dr Hamish Walker, Brenda Allison, Myrna,
June Maw, Denise, Susan Farrar
Artists: Carine Brosse, Charlotte Tweedy, Tony Stephenson, Marcia Brown, Jelena Zindovic
Artist and Oral Histories Story Collector: Jane Morland
Workshop leader for bunting making workshops: Denise Scott
Support worker for workshops: Leonie Stephenson
Scientist and Artist: Dean Bagnall
Graphic Designer: Martyn Wilson
Transcriber: Catherine Long
Space2 Project Manager: Jelena Zindovic

Partners: The Old Fire Station in Gipton, Leeds Libraries, Thackray Medical Museum, Zest, Feel Good Factor, Shantona Women’s Centre