We know through our work with transplant recipients, their families and the families of donors that organ donation and transplantation can affect individuals in many ways. The experience of organ donation and transplantation is something that impacts these individuals’ lives and identities (who they are).
With this in mind, early in 2025 we embarked on a new arts-based project called Identity Boxes. Through online workshops we spoke with organ transplant recipients, family members of recipients, and members of donor families.
We asked each participant to create an identity box. An identity box is a container which holds items that represent who we are or signifies something that has happened to us.
The box can be decorated in any number of ways. Perhaps one way on the outside, to show who we are outwardly, and another on the inside to reflect our thoughts, feeling and emotions.
The project was a huge success and we’re delighted to share with you the online magazine we created as a result.
We’ve also put together a physical exhibition, which will be touring community spaces in the North East throughout 2026. Venues and dates can be found below:
January – Longbenton Community Hub and Library
February – White Swan Community Centre, Killingworth
March – Whitley Bay Community Hub and Library
April – Blyth Library
May – Morpeth Library
June – Berwick Library
July to August – venue TBC
September – Wallsend Library and Community
October to Dec – venue TBC
We’d like to thank all of the workshop participants for sharing their time and their stories and for creating such wonderful boxes. We’re also hugely grateful to our researchers, Dr Siân Russell, Dr Rebeka Jenkins and Sarah Dickson, for their hard work and amazing contribution to the project.
If you’d like to know more about Identity Boxes, please contact our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Lead, Hannah: Hannah.Murray@newcastle.ac.uk.
