Ballin, D., 2019.

Under an Artificial Sun

This project focuses on materials in the Stannington Children's Sanatorium collection held at Northumberland Archives. Most children hospitalised with tuberculosis were from working-class backgrounds and lived in extreme poverty. In addition to medical treatment, hospitalisation included a multitude of emotional and developmental experiences. Under an Artificial Sun investigates connections between this archival material and contemporary debates around isolation, resilience, creativity and boredom within child development. It seeks to uncover stories of the emotional legacy of hospitalisation within the archive; examine experiences these children may not otherwise have been exposed to and explore how hospitalisation may have shaped their lives in unexpected or seldom-discussed ways.