A drop of hope
Poetry from a vaccination centre
Twelve poets in residence wrote poems on the impact of the vaccination program, and the shifts and changes we all went through in the pandemic.
They were inspired by the words of those who were vaccinated within the Crick, the reflections of the volunteers working at the vaccination centre and the experiences of our local communities.
This project was a collaboration between the Francis Crick Institute and Poet in the City.
#DropOfHope
The project
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The project
In January 2021, the Manby Gallery, the Crick’s public exhibition and events space, was converted to an NHS vaccination centre as part of the national vaccine campaign. It offered up to 1000 vaccines a day at its peak capacity.
During this time, science impacted our everyday lives more than ever. A Drop of Hope reflects on this, and the part we play in a wider community effort.
Of the 12 poems which formed part of the final installation, two are in Bengali and two in Somali, reflecting the ethnic diversity of the people who contributed to the project and the community in local Camden.
The poems
Our virtual poets in residence drew on the archive of postcards left by people after they were vaccinated, a rich source of inspiration, themes, language, stories and perspectives.
How it worked
How it worked
As each person entered the vaccination centre, they were offered a postcard with simple questions that invited them to anonymously share reflections on the personal impact of the pandemic on their lives.
They were invited to ‘post’ this postcard as they leave. With up to 7,000 vaccinations taking place per week, the comments on these postcards, along with reflections from our volunteers and community, formed an archive that offers a rich source of inspiration, revealing intriguing patterns in themes, language, stories and perspectives.
Our 12 poets drew from this archive, each writing one poem as the outcome of their virtual residency.
Installed in phases between April and June 2021, the poems filled the Manby Gallery windows and created a rainbow-like form, a symbol that became synonymous with hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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A drop of hope is a partnership between the Francis Crick Institute and Poet in the City. Installation design by Nina Jua Klein and Julian Goll.
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