NHS anniversary tour exhibition celebrates contributions of migrants

The Migration Museum is set to launch "Heart of the Nation: Migration and the Making of the NHS," a national touring exhibition commemorating the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS).

The exhibition will debut at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery on June 30, 2023. It aims to highlight the significant role of international workers in the NHS, without whom the beloved institution would not have thrived.

Over the years, individuals from around the world have migrated to the UK to contribute to the NHS, and today, approximately 1 in 6 NHS workers have a non-British nationality.

And many others are the children and grandchildren of migrant healthcare workers, forging multi-generational legacies. But their crucial role has largely been ignored, a press release said.

The exhibition will feature personal stories, photography, film, artwork, artifacts, and historical material to showcase the experiences of migrant healthcare workers from the 1940s to the present.

A focal point of the exhibition will be an interactive music and video installation created and performed by current NHS workers.

Visitors will have the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences of care and leave messages for NHS workers.

The exhibition builds upon a previous digital exhibition by the Migration Museum during the Covid-19 pandemic and will be updated to mark the NHS's 75th anniversary.

Following its debut in Leicester, the exhibition will tour other cities, including Trinity Leeds in November 2023 and London in 2024.

The Migration Museum plans to organise workshops and events in collaboration with local creatives and organisations including renowned photographer and filmmaker Kajal Nisha Patel and Inspirate, who will be partnering with the exhibition during their Indian Summer Festival. Further details will be revealed soon.

The exhibition will be available for visitors until October 29, 2023, marking the initial phase of its national tour.

Trinity Leeds has been confirmed as the next location for November 2023, followed by London in 2024.