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Paint loud in protest: sign making artist takes up residence at RCN

Artist Peter Liversidge is hosting a series of free sign painting workshops to help members amplify their voices.

Sign painting event with Peter Liversidge

The RCN is working in a creative collaboration with acclaimed artist Peter Liversidge. Starting on 14 September 2024, RCN members can visit the sign painting studio at the RCN Library and Museum at our London headquarters for the week. There will be a further series of member workshops across the UK too, with dates to be announced.

Visitors can observe Peter in action as he paints signs, and we also invite you to get involved. You can suggest ideas for your own personalised signs, which you can take away with you. This project offers a new and positive opportunity to amplify and celebrate voices of nursing staff in the creation of a unique artwork.

You can take part in the free collaboration during the library opening hours from 14 September to 20 September 2024 (closed on Sunday).

Signs that aren’t taken away during Peter’s residency will be displayed in an installation outside RCN HQ on 21 September 2024. This will serve as a public showcase of nursing voices.

Anna Semmens, RCN Joint Head of Library and Archive Services, said: “Projects like this are vital to ensuring nursing staff are seen in the public consciousness and that their impact on every member of society truly represented and valued. Peter’s residency is an outstanding opportunity for nursing staff and visitors alike to share their experiences and inspire this artwork.”

Peter said: "This project is a celebration of the RCN, taking its starting point from the rich and diverse collection at the College’s library and museum. It offers a way to share narratives as individuals and as groups. The project is driven by a desire to make heard a multiplicity of nursing voices, setting up situations in which important questions can be asked about what it means to be a nurse and how to belong.”

A conceptual artist known for his multidisciplinary approach, Peter works in multiple formats, including photography, collage, sculpture, and performance. His work often invites collaboration, is shaped by external influences, and explores the role of coincidence.