Full Breakdown
Blackpool Artist Transforms Victoria Hospital with Murals
4/25/2026, 9:49:42 PM
The Hospital Murals Project
Adam Salisbury, a 37-year-old Blackpool artist, has painted almost 30 murals across Victoria Hospital, the NHS site where he first admired a Thomas the Tank Engine wall. Five Blue Skies Charity commissions replace sterile corridors with colour, calm and hope.
From Hospital Walls to Social Media: Early Influences
Salisbury grew up visiting Victoria Hospital; his mother Maureen let him paint over lining paper and his grandfather Robert Worthington supplied paints, urging his talents would change the world. After art college, a 2015 Facebook dinosaur mural reignited his artistic path.
People and Partnerships Behind the Paint
Key partners include Janet Barnsley, director of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Nicci Hayes of the Blue Skies Charity, which funds the murals. Salisbury also works with tattoo mentor Danny Robinson and credits his wife Sade for emotional support.
Timeline and Scale
- 2015: Facebook dinosaur mural receives 1,000+ likes, prompting a career shift.
- 2018: Harry Potter bedroom mural goes viral on TikTok, gaining ~500,000 followers.
- 2019: Nurse spots Beauty-and-the-Beast mural and invites Salisbury to Victoria Hospital.
- 2020-2023: Five Blue Skies-funded commissions create almost 30 murals; videos have amassed millions of views.
- 2023: Opens The Inked Artist tattoo studio in Cleveleys.
Impact on Care Environment
Hospital staff report that the murals help make visits less daunting and boost morale. Visitors describe the corridors as warm and welcoming, noting the presence of colour, calm and hope. Community response has been positive, with increased local pride and charitable interest.
Official Responses
Janet Barnsley, director of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the murals make hospital visits less daunting. Nicci Hayes of the Blue Skies Charity added that art transforms clinical spaces into warm environments that lift the spirits of patients, visitors and staff.
Verbatim Quotes
- “proud as punch” to bring “colour, calm and hope to places that need it most.” — Adam Salisbury, Artist
- “Being in hospital can sometimes be a daunting experience, and these artworks help to create more welcoming environments,” — Janet Barnsley, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- “Art plays such a vital role in transforming clinical environments into warm, welcoming spaces that truly lift the spirits of our patients, visitors, and staff.” — Nicci Hayes, Blue Skies Charity
- “Your talents are in your hands and you are going to change the world.” — Robert Worthington, Grandfather (quoted by Adam Salisbury)
Looking Ahead
Salisbury intends to establish a not-for-profit art foundation in Blackpool to mentor emerging artists and fund additional hospital murals nationwide. He will continue balancing tattoo work with large-scale public art, seeking collaborations that extend the therapeutic benefits of colour to other clinical settings.
