Sophia Faulkner, a 14-year-old artist from Urmston, is displaying her artwork for the first time at The Great Northern Warehouse, Deansgate in a new pop-up gallery exhibition. The window display, which runs from 16th December 2025 to 9th January 2026, is made possible by the kindness of the local Manchester business community, with framing sponsored by Landmark Investments, and the space kindly donated by the Great Northern Warehouse.
Sophia who was diagnosed with leukaemia, aged 10 in 2022, began exploring her artist talents during her treatment. After relapsing in January 2025, she returned to hospital for further treatment, where she met Jen, a Youth Support Coordinator for Teenage Cancer Trust. “It was during this time I got very close to Jen who is part of the Teenage Cancer Trust team,” says Sophia, “Jen gave me lots of different types of pens and sketch books to try during my time in hospital.”
The exhibition features a curated selection of 15 of Sophia’s favourite sketches, printed and professionally framed. It is a celebration of her resilience and talent.
Teenage Cancer Trust’s vital services for young people with cancer are entirely dependent on fundraised income and every day seven young people in the UK (aged 13-24) hear the devastating words “you have cancer”, turning their lives upside down.
Christine, Sophia’s mum said: “Jen has been an amazing support for Sophia, she’s become more of a family friend than anything else. Sophia doesn’t open up to many people so this really helped Sophia & me to know she was comfortable with Jen & enjoys their chats & time together. From theatre trips, to pizza nights, Jellycat obsessions & just little chats each day, Jen has helped more than she probably realises. And I am so grateful to her for that.”
Jen Duggan, Youth Support Coordinator at Teenage Cancer Trust said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to support Sophia throughout her treatment, I have sat and watched as she has done different types of artwork and have been amazed by her talent. We have spent many hours chatting and laughing, but also at times we have just sat quiet, trying to make sense of what was happening to her with treatment. Sophia gets involved with a lot of our trips and is a delight to be around and makes other young people feel at ease.”
Mark Schofield from Great Northern added: ‘We wanted to help but have been bowled over by Sofia’s talent. The pieces make a stunning exhibition and are stopping passers by in their tracks!’
Chloe Walker, Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Cancer is tough. But Teenage Cancer Trust’s work puts young people in the best possible place, physically, mentally and emotionally, for their cancer treatment and beyond.
“We do that by funding expert nurses, support teams, and hospital units. And we’re the only UK charity dedicated to providing this specialist nursing.”
“Sophia’s art exhibition is a celebration of her resilience and talent, it has been a pleasure to meet her and her family and support her artist journey.”
“We’d like to express our sincere thanks to Mark Hawthorn of Landmark Investments, Emma James of The Great Northern, Jon Davies of Apis Framing, Thom Hetherington of Manchester Art Fair and John Macaulay GRIT Studios CIC who have all played their part in this chain of kindness.”
For anyone wanting to enquire about purchasing any of the prints contact Chloe at Teenage Cancer Trust