Lily Cockfield – who has just scooped the “Young Entrepreneur Award” at this year’s Hartlepool Business Awards – now has her work – inspired by the Tees Valley’s rich industrial heritage – showing at Stockton’s Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).
The new artworks have transformed the CDC’s stairwells into a vibrant community space that celebrates the area’s history.
The project was funded by University Hospitals Tees charities and Tees Valley Museums, supported using funding by Arts Council England.
Lily said: “Community involvement has been at the heart of this project from day one and it’s been such a privilege to be a part of it. I am passionate about creating artwork that people feel connected to and can take pride in, so it was important that local voices helped shape the designs and that the murals had a rich industrial story and a strong sense of identity, while being uplifting for the future.”
She added: “I hope these murals spark conversations, create moments of reflection and can be enjoyed by the community for many years to come.”
Since opening its doors in April 2025, the CDC has already delivered more than 80,000 diagnostic scans, tests and checks to the area’s population. And earlier this year, the University Hospitals Tees arts council and Tees Valley Museums placed a joint call for a local artist to create two striking pieces of artwork for the healthcare facility.
Lily Rose Cockfield – who was selected as “artist in residence” – worked alongside Jo-Ann Cole from Tees Valley Museums, and Dr Jean MacLeod and Donna Fairhurst from the University Hospitals Tees arts council to develop the project.
A series of engagement sessions were subsequently held across neighbouring hospital sites, the CDC, Preston Park Museum, the Museum of Hartlepool and Kirkleatham Museum.
More than 300 staff, patients and members of the public took part, contributing over 400 ideas, drawings and creative responses that helped shape the final artworks. Industrial artefacts from museum collections were also used to inspire ideas and inform the mural designs.
Inspired by the North East’s rich industrial past, the murals celebrate the Tees Valley’s history of steelmaking, shipbuilding, railways and chemical industries while reflecting the resilience, creativity and pride of the region.
They were painted over several weeks, with Lily speaking to more than 90 people during the installation process, further strengthening the collaborative nature of the project.
Dr Jean MacLeod, chair of the University Hospitals Tees arts council, said: “From the very beginning, this project was about creating artwork that truly belongs to the community it serves. The response was incredible, with hundreds of people taking part in engagement sessions and sharing their ideas, memories and creativity. “
She added: “We are really grateful to Lily, our partners at Tees Valley Museums and everyone who contributed to creating these remarkable pieces that have helped to create a welcoming environment for anyone who walks through the doors of the community diagnostic centre.”
Throughout the project, collaboration with Tees Valley Museums played an integral role in developing the artwork – helping to make the installations a true reflection of the people and places they represent.
Jo-Anne Cole, Access and Engagement Officer for Tees Valley Museums, said: “The impact of art on health and wellbeing is very well documented and it’s been a privilege for us to collaborate on a project that brings art into the very heart of a busy clinical setting. Working alongside Lily on the community engagement sessions has been brilliant. We’ve seen some very creative people within our local community who were very enthusiastic and brought lots of ideas for Lily to draw upon for the final murals. It was not only about making a space functional but being able to look at the overall holistic health of patients and visitors as they move around the building.”
