This eye-catching art exhibition, which launched in October, features fourteen illustrations by seven international artists. It is being displayed in high traffic areas of the Stopford Building, the home of UoM’s Medical School.  

Medical art refers to the illustrations which are used to illustrate anatomy, medical procedures, surgical techniques and medical devices. It is often dominated by illustrations of White, slim, young adult, non-disabled, cisgender men. Reframing Stopford aims to challenge this by showing the actual diversity of human bodies, with each piece showing people with intersectional, underrepresented characteristics. The project aims to improve the sense of belonging for students and staff while normalising difference in how we visualise health(care).   

A grant from the University’s Institute of Teaching and Learning Innovation and Scholarship Fund is now enabling the next phase of development of the Reframing Stopford Project. The cross-Faculty team, which includes Heather Cockayne and Sadia Habib from the Manchester Institute of Education within SEED, will be holding creative workshops for students and staff during Spring 2026, experimenting with interdisciplinary, arts-based methods for reflecting on and improving belonging. Details on how to book will come soon.  

The Reframing Stopford exhibition is free to visit and is open for university staff and students and members of the public to view during usual University hours within the Stopford Building – refer to the gallery map for locations of the art works.