Alder Hey to launch art exhibition at Merseyside Maritime Museum to raise money for Mental Health Appeal

Alder Hey will host its first ever art event, Brighter Futures, to showcase the work of celebrated artists including Yoko Ono, Tony Ross and Willy Russell and to support children and young people at Alder Hey.

The event, which includes an exhibition and online auction, aims to raise £100,000 for Alder Hey Children’s Charity 7in10 Mental Health Appeal.

It will be free to access and open to the public at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March 2022.

The unique exhibition will display over 120 items especially curated for Brighter Futures, all of which are available to buy at an online charity auction which is open from now until the end of the exhibition.

One exhibit has been created with the help of children and young people at Alder Hey. British artist Rachael Howard, who is also an Art’s for Health practitioner at Alder Hey, worked with 11 patients at the hospital to create a single piece of art titled My favourite word… 

The colourful creation uses screen printing techniques on fabric to portray words that bring each individual patient involved in the project, happiness. Words used include ‘summer’, ‘unique’, ‘animals’ and even ‘Peppa Pig’! 

The finished piece was brought together by Rachael and revealed for the first time to patient Aleena 14, who was one of the young people who helped to create it on her ward. 

Rachael Howard said:

“It’s been such fun sharing the joy of screen printing with the children on the wards.  I asked the children to think about their favourite word which they wrote on paper and cut out to make a stencil to screen print with.  The beautiful and unique handwriting of each participant was transferred into a print using pigment dyes on brightly coloured cotton fabrics.

“The children blobbed orange dyes onto a screen and used a squeegee to pull the dye across the fabric. Their delighted faces when a print is revealed is a wonderful sight. The collaborative artwork brings together all of the favourite words each child printed, taking shape in the form of a cheerful yellow sun.”

All proceeds from the Brighter Futures event will go towards Alder Hey’s 7in10 mental health appeal, which aims to raise £3m to transform the way mental health services are delivered to children and young people. The Appeal will also help fund a new tier 4, 12 bed inpatient mental health unit called Sunflower House – currently set to be completed in April 2022 which will be part of a new Mental Health Campus at Alder Hey.

Alder Hey Children’s Charity has funded over £500,000 towards Alder Hey’s Arts for Health programme in 2021. This programme which includes arts and crafts sessions, music therapy, dance programmes, storytelling and animation projects for children and their families can have a transformative effect on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in hospital. 

Fiona Ashcroft, CEO of Alder Hey Children’s Charity said:

“We know based on first-hand experience how important art and creativity is for the mental health of children and young people treated at Alder Hey. 

“Our Brighter Futures event is a wonderful opportunity to link the amazing work we do through art and creative outlets in Alder Hey with the benefits it can have on the mental health of children and young people.”

The exhibition will be held at the Merseyside Maritime Museum at the Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, and will be open to the public on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th March.

Once registered, the online auction can be accessed here.