In 2015 Hannah spent six months in hospital. This piece is based on her experiences and medical conditions. Hannah uses poetry to capture her experiences, while doctors communicate through the medium of notes. Doctors don’t know what she has or how to treat it, or even the right tests to run to point them in the right direction. All they know is that this young woman is ill, very ill indeed, and if they don’t do anything she won’t be going home. In this fictionalised version of her experiences, the personal and the professional collide. We follow her during midnight blood tests, unconsciousness, and also bouts of hope. There’s a monotony to days inside a hospital, the same faces saying the same dire things and little that can be done. Welcome to the experience of becoming institutionalised.

163 Days starred Hannah Hodgson, Raj Ghatak, Erin Shanagher and Chris Brett, with thanks to Amanda Dalton. It was written and directed by Hannah Hodgson and was a Naked Production for Tyneside Cinema.

New Creatives is supported by Arts Council England and BBC Arts Show less