My work on The Journey of RCN Wales exhibition began in the archives. I learned quickly that archives don't just give you facts; they give you fragments of lives. I had thought I was simply telling the story of a building, but as I read the letters, unfolded the old campaign posters and flicked through photographs of nursing staff raising funds and demanding recognition, I realised it was really a story about people and about care, pride and belonging. My aim became to reveal the human story of constructing 罢欧 Maeth; not just a headquarters, but a home for nursing in Wales.
Photos: Exterior of 罢欧Maeth - the building that inspired the story before and after
The Journey of RCN Wales marks 60 years since its founding. That is six decades of advocacy, leadership and resilience which are told through objects, voices and collective memory
There are three display cabinets, each symbolising a chapter of 罢欧 Maeth’s story:
1. Laying the Groundwork
Fundraising tins, badges and early posters map how Welsh nursing staff organised, campaigned and pooled resources. It shows that institutions grow from collective conviction, not just policy.
2. Legacy and Recognition
Awards, plaques, stamps and personal letters mark the slow, steady turning of persistence into public acknowledgement and private pride.
3. 罢欧 Maeth Then and Now
Photographs and ephemera trace the building from its 1965 opening by HRH Princess Margaret to its ongoing life as a centre for nursing. The same walls that hosted campaigns for pay and education now frame conversations about equality, wellbeing and representation.
Photo: The interactive nursing cape during installation
At the heart of the exhibition is a nursing cape; visitors are invited to leave their thoughts and affirmations on the cape.
Curating this exhibition had its challenges including long hours, label edits and last-minute adjustments. The team at RCN Wales was incredible, generous with their time and stories, and always reminding me that this exhibition is more than a timeline; it’s a tribute.” Seeing everything come together in the final days, the lighting catching the photographs just right, the bilingual panels aligning perfectly – that's when it hit me that all the effort was worth it. I wasn’t just building an exhibition; I was helping to preserve a legacy.
Photo: Exhibition case at 罢欧Maeth
Curating The Journey of RCN Wales has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career so far. It reminded me that curating isn't just about arranging objects.
Now that the exhibition has opened, I hope it continues to have a positive impact and that visitors see themselves somewhere within it. Whether through the stories on the walls, the campaign materials, or a handwritten note on the cape, I hope it leaves people feeling proud of the nursing profession that has shaped so much of Welsh life.
I'm also excited for the upcoming short film that will document the exhibition and capture even more of the six decades’ worth of history and memories of 罢欧 Maeth.
The Hands That Built a Home
They built not from stone,
but from courage and care -
letters folded with hope,
posters pinned with belief.
In these walls,
their stories breathe -
voices that refused silence,
hands that turned struggle into strength.
Sixty years on,
the echoes remain -
steady, proud,
alive in 罢欧 Maeth once again.
