Quentin Blake ‘The Illustrated Hospital’ exhibition at Bury St Edmunds Museum

A summer exhibition of illustrations by Quentin Blake at Moyse’s Hall Museum, Bury St Edmunds presents a rare opportunity to view a large collection of pieces by one of the nation’s favourite artists.

Entitled ‘The Illustrated Hospital’ the important display has been co-curated with Quentin Blake’s team and the West Suffolk Council run Moyse's Hall Museum. Open from Tuesday 4th June until Sunday 6th October, some of the illustrations have never been on public display before.

Since 2005, Quentin Blake’s drawings for hospitals and healthcare settings have become a significant part of his work. Because of their clinical function, many of the spaces are not easily accessible to visitors, so relatively few people - only patients and hospital staff - may get the chance to see them.

Created in Quentin Blake’s instantly recognisable style, the drawings provide something for everyone. With swimming babies, helpful dragons, treetop adventures and poignant landscapes, there are plenty of unexpected delights to discover in Quentin Blake’s Illustrated Hospital.

Quentin Blake was born in the suburbs of London in 1932 and has drawn ever since he can remember. His first drawings were published in Punch while he was 16 and still at school. He is known for his collaboration with writers such as Russell Hoban, Joan Aiken, Michael Rosen, John Yeoman and, most famously, Roald Dahl. In the last few years he has begun to make larger-scale work for hospitals and healthcare settings in the UK and France.

His books have won numerous prizes and awards. In 1999 he was appointed the first ever Children's Laureate, was created a CBE in 2005 and has numerous honorary degrees from universities throughout the UK. He received a knighthood for 'services to illustration' in the New Year's Honours for 2013, became an Honorary Freeman of the City of London in 2015 and was appointed 'Companion of Honour' in The Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2022.

One of the most important exhibitions at Moyse’s Hall, it further enhances the attraction’s growing reputation for punching way above its weight for a provincial museum. The ‘Moments’ and ‘Urban Frame: Mutiny in Colour’ contemporary art exhibitions attracted a combined audience of over 50,000 visitors with their original pieces by Banksy, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and others.

Moyse’s Hall’s ‘Illustrated Hospital’ exhibition is being supported with workshops that will see young and old explorers create dragons and other characters inspired by Blake’s work.

Folksy Theatres is also presenting an outdoor performance of Theatre in the Parks ‘Quentin Blake: Angelia Sprocket’s Pockets’ at Westow Anglo Saxon Village, near Bury St Edmunds on Friday, 9th August at 12noon. Based on the artist’s popular book, the fun-filled family play will reveal some of the marvellous things Angelica kept in her never-ending pockets.

The Quentin Blake ‘Illustrated Hospital’ exhibition is open to the public seven days a week from 4th June until 6th October. Timed tickets can be booked online at www.moyseshall.org/whats-on or by calling 01284 758000, they can also be purchased at the museum.

Admission prices are £5 adults, £4.50 concessions (60+), £3 child 5-16 years, under 5s free. Moyse’s Hall is open Monday-Saturday 10am - 5pm (last entry at 4pm) and Sunday 12noon – 4pm (last entry 3pm). All Quentin Blake tickets include access to the full museum collection, for more information visit www.moyseshall.org.