‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind?’

This digital and arts-based project amplified the research of community genealogical volunteers to commemorate the lives of more than 9,000 women, men, and children buried in ‘pauper graves’ within the largest abandoned hospital cemetery in the UK. 

Through 22 art-therapy workshops with diverse public audiences, we explored the life histories of the Horton Cemetery patients, had discussions about mental health (past and present) and painted over 1600 commemorative ceramic flowers. These memorial flowers were ‘planted’ as a crowd-sourced remembrance garden at The Horton Arts Centre and the installation was unveiled (with an accompanying arts festival) on 10 October 2023 (World Mental Health Day). Artist Eric Fong’s Cyanotype Apparitions exhibition complemented the installation and added academic context to the representative flowers outside.

Over 300 people attended this unveiling ceremony – including Baroness Hollins, representatives of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, Members of Parliament, and the media – and at least 7000 people engaged with the display in the following weeks. The Horton staff and volunteers reported that ‘every day … [we] listened to the recollections and reactions of visitors who actively sought [us] out and wanted to talk about their thoughts and feelings’. At the request of The Horton, the installation display was extended for another month, so was disassembled on 15 December 2023 - after also featuring also in Gemma Collins’ episode of Who do you think you are? (BBC, series 21).

The crafting workshops were a highly effective and enjoyable way of stimulating conversations about mental health treatment in the past (with comparisons and analogues with experiences today). We were especially pleased to work with several mental health charities in running these sessions – including with young people, refugee and asylum seekers, school children, and people with learning disabilities.

Film footage from the commemorative event and memorial garden unveiling is featured in the ‘news and events’ section.