Picture This: Newcastle exhibition transforms university research into illustrated art
Picture This: Someone Like Me is a free public exhibition at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle running until 17 January 2027, turning university research from diverse postgraduate scholars into visual artworks.
Curated by Newcastle University PhD researchers Phoebe Lewis and Ainsley Hatt, Picture This: Someone Like Me transforms research into illustrated art at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle. The exhibition is free and open until 17 January 2027.
A student-led exhibition in Newcastle is turning complex academic research into vibrant visual art, helping families and museum visitors connect with ground-breaking ideas while championing diversity in higher education.
Picture This: Someone Like Me, on display at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle upon Tyne, showcases illustrated graphics created by postgraduate researchers across a wide variety of subjects, ranging from ecology and rain measurement to cultural history and storytelling.
Curated by Newcastle University PhD scholars Phoebe Lewis and Ainsley Hatt alongside Peter Moore Fuller from design consultancy infohackit, the initiative was developed to bridge the gap between academic institutions and the wider community.
Turning papers into pictures
Academic research is traditionally shared through specialised journals and academic conferences, formats that rarely reach the broader public. To break down those barriers, the project brought postgraduate researchers together for collaborative workshops to learn visual storytelling and graphic design techniques using creative software.
The resulting illustrated works distill intricate hypotheses and discoveries into engaging, accessible posters displayed along the museum's gallery walls.
"One of the highlights of the project has been seeing researchers from completely different disciplines, who may not normally cross paths, come together and learn how to communicate their work visually through their own artistic styles," said co-curator Phoebe Lewis.
Ainsley Hatt added: "With this exhibition, we wanted to showcase the amazing research happening at Newcastle University in a way that feels more accessible and invites people to connect with it."
Research open to everyone
At the core of the project is a message of inclusion: showing that researchers come from all walks of life, and encouraging visitors of all ages to realise that someone like them can pursue discovery.
"For me this exhibition demonstrates that anyone can be a researcher, and that anyone can express themselves and what is important to them through art and design," noted Peter Moore Fuller of infohackit.
Supported by Newcastle University, its Doctoral College, Great North Museum: Hancock, Affinity by Canva, and the British Ecological Society, the project also hosts student-led public outreach activities and interactive sessions throughout the year.
Picture This: Someone Like Me is on display at the Great North Museum: Hancock on Barras Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne until 17 January 2027. Admission to the museum and the exhibition is completely free.
Information and gallery photography supplied by Newcastle University Press Office.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed under our editorial guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Picture This: Someone Like Me exhibition in Newcastle?
Picture This: Someone Like Me is a free student-led exhibition at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle upon Tyne running until 17 January 2027. Curated by Newcastle University PhD researchers Phoebe Lewis and Ainsley Hatt with infohackit, it transforms postgraduate research across diverse disciplines into colourful, accessible illustrated artworks.