Gratitude

Nationwide
20 August 21  – 10 October 21
NHS Charities Together
Overview

Gratitude was a spectacular public art installation which honoured and paid tribute to the courage and dedication of NHS Staff and all key workers during the pandemic and captured the extraordinary experiences that have connected us through these most challenging of times.

Free to visit, the exhibition was curated in partnership with creative ambassador Dame Zandra Rhodes and consisted of 51 sculptures, all designed by professional artists and designers from across the UK.

Enclosed by mirrors on two sides, Gratitude created infinite reflections of the stunning artwork highlighting the endless dedication of all key workers, and enabled visitors to become part of an immersive experience and reflecting the contributions of the entire population.

Gratitude visited Birmingham (20-30 August), Manchester (3-12 September), Edinburgh (17-26 September) and London (1-10 October).

In autumn 2021, the sculptures were auctioned with substantial proceeds donated to NHS Charities Together, which supports the NHS, including its hospitals, ambulance services, community and mental healthcare providers and vital partnerships.

Visit the website

Gratitude Stories

We invited people from across the UK to submit real-life stories and poems about key workers for a chance to be included in the Gratitude installation.

Listen to them in recordings by a host of well-known voices including singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, Adil Ray OBE and actors Julie Hesmondhalgh, Ciarán Griffiths, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Christopher Eccleston, John Thomson and Shobna Gulati, to help us tell the story of the unprecedented period in our lives.

The sculpture

The sculpture was a simple human form – neither male nor female – and acted as a canvas which enabled the artists to create many different designs and interpret it in their own creative style.

51 sculptures were designed by professional artists and designers from across the UK.

A few of Our Achievements

5.4k+

Sculptures Created

135+

Events Delivered

12m+

Participants
Attended

206k+

Selfies Taken