New LivingBodiesObjects partnerships highlight ongoing Bhopal crisis
LivingBodiesObjects: Technology and the Spaces of Health (LBO) is a three-year research project based at the University of Leeds and funded by a Wellcome Trust Research Development Award.
A new digital story, an exhibition, and sustained global partnerships are highlighting the ongoing legacy of the Bhopal disaster, demonstrating the continued impact of research from the University of Leeds’ LivingBodiesObjects (LBO) project.
On the night of 2-3 December 1984, a gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, India, released the deadly chemical methyl isocyanate into the air. Thousands of people died within days, and to date, the disaster has claimed 25,000 lives and left over 120,000 people with chronic health problems, making it the world’s worst industrial disaster.
In addition to the gas leak, unsafe disposal of chemical waste by Union Carbide in the 1970s and 80s caused severe groundwater contamination, leading to an ongoing struggle for clean water in the area – now known as Bhopal’s 'second disaster'.
Working in close collaboration with the Bhopal Medical Appeal (BMA), Professor Clare Barker (School of English) and Dr Lynn Wray (School of Earth and Environment) have helped develop Beneath the Surface: Inside the Enduring Violence of Bhopal’s Two Disasters, a new long-form digital story that explores the continuing environmental and human consequences of the disasters.
Created using the interactive storytelling platform Shorthand, the project brings together new interviews, original artwork by LBO Research Fellow Dr Wray, data, photography and interactive maps to shed light on the long-term impact of water contamination affecting communities in Bhopal. More than four decades after the 1984 gas disaster, the story highlights how its effects continue to shape everyday life for thousands of people.
A central aim of the LivingBodiesObjects project has been to build lasting partnerships that extend beyond its funded period. The collaboration with the Bhopal Medical Appeal is a key example of this approach, demonstrating how research can contribute to advocacy, public awareness and ongoing dialogue.
Reflecting the strength of this partnership, Professor Clare Barker has recently been appointed as a trustee of the Bhopal Medical Appeal, supporting the organisation’s long-term work in campaigning, fundraising and community engagement.
Professor Clare Barker said:
“It is hugely rewarding to see LivingBodiesObjects continue to grow, paving the way for new research projects, and unearthing new seams of knowledge.
“Our collaboration with the Bhopal Medical Appeal has enabled us to bring wider attention to an ongoing environmental injustice, and I’m honoured to support their work further through my role as a trustee.
“From digital storytelling and public exhibitions to institutional partnerships and sector innovation, the LivingBodiesObjects project continues to generate new ways of engaging with urgent global challenges.”
Engaging public audiences through exhibition
Alongside the digital story, public engagement continues through Enduring Violence: Bhopal’s Ongoing Water Disaster, an exhibition originally developed through the LBO project. The exhibition will be presented at the Brighton Fringe Festival from 20–24 May 2026 at the Phoenix Art Space, offering visitors an opportunity to explore the lived experiences of affected communities and the ongoing struggle for environmental justice.
Bringing together survivor testimonies, Dr Wray’s artworks and research insight, the exhibition aims to raise awareness of the continuing crisis and amplify the voices of those directly impacted.
Influencing practice across the sector
The LivingBodiesObjects project’s impact also extends to the cultural sector through its collaboration with the Thackray Museum of Medicine. Building on the LBO partnership, the museum is developing a new Collections CoLab space inspired by the project’s approach to collaboration and public engagement.
The initiative aims to open up museum collections to wider audiences, foreground underrepresented stories and create new opportunities for creative partnership. Supported by a major grant from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, the new space is expected to open in early 2027.
Header photo credit: A painting of water pumps and containers by Dr Lynn Wray.
