Luke Thomas

Innovation has taken different forms throughout my early adulthood. In 2022, at only 18 years old, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and underwent treatment at Clatterbridge Cancer Hospital in Liverpool. This diagnosis also required me to undergo amputation surgery, significantly changing the course of my future. However, the silver lining to this was that it allowed me to find my true creative interests within visual storytelling. After treatment, it took a while for me to start feeling like myself again, however, public speaking has been an amazing outlet for me. By articulating my story in my own words, I am able to process my own experience, and also hope to allow others who are going through what I did to feel seen and validated. Gradually, these small steps gave me a new-found confidence and pride within myself, as I have been able to show people that disability does not define capability.

My most recent project, ‘MEET ME IN THE DIGITAL TWIN’, was a sci-fi-experimental art exhibition that opened at FACT Liverpool in 2025 and was led by artist Nina Davies. Over 18 months, and alongside two other young cancer survivors, I infused my personal experience into the art, with one of our characters also having a prosthetic leg. Based 500 years into the future, and set at our local hospital, the exhibition was able to intertwine far-fetched fictional elements and non-fictional elements grounded in our reality. This amalgamation aimed to make it easier for audience members to raise questions that they would otherwise feel uncomfortable to ask. To further advocate for these necessary but difficult conversations, I also appeared on one of the participants’ podcasts, ‘The Gliobabes’, to promote the exhibition. 

For me, this project is a prime example of the innovative uses of multimedia to prompt public discussion, particularly surrounding taboo topics. In the future, I hope to continue this pursuit of bringing untold stories to the forefront and encourage personal reflection through new and unconventional artforms.

I am delighted to nominate Luke Thomas for the Digital Innovation category, in recognition of the exceptional creative growth Luke has shown through his ongoing relationship with FACT Liverpool. Luke first came to FACT through a co-designed exhibition ‘Meet Me in the Digital Twin (2025),’ led by artist Nina Davies in collaboration with young people from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, transforming lived experiences of cancer into an immersive sci-fi world. Within this project, Luke’s digital innovation shone through: he designed every logo used in the exhibition’s world-building, contributed to editing the script, and co-created the accompanying podcast, ‘The BB.’

Inspired by this experience, Luke has since become a Studio/Lab member at FACT Liverpool, using our space and
technology to develop his independent practice as a graphic designer, image-maker and digital collage artist. Luke’s journey from participant to practising digital artist exemplifies exactly the kind of innovation and growth Liverpool’s creative community should celebrate.

Nicola Triscott

FACT Liverpool

 

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