IGNITE

IGNITE is a project we’re working on with Guy’s Hospital in London. They are opening a brand new teenage and young adult cancer treatment centre, the first of its kind in the UK. No More Heroes received an Arts Council grant (thank you ACE!) to design and develop a platform for digital creativity that young people can use while receiving treatment on the ward.

Indiana Lawrence and Claudia Walder brought their zine making skills, materials, and experience leading a group in the production of visual publications using scissors and glue. Aysha Tengiz demonstrated how to make stop frame animation using plasticine guiding participants through the process to make their own. Steph Singer from Bittersuite ran a series of sessions focusing on bodywork, sound, and breath consciousness. Jacob Sam-La Rose gathered everyone together to make collaborative poetry. At the end of the day participants had experienced four different creative methods and media with creative professionals. They all expressed how stimulating and enjoyable the day was and how rewarding it would be to be able to do some of that work whilst in the hospital.

Dr Carr reflected on how boring and dispiriting it can be staying in hospital for long periods or receiving regular treatment over months and years. Creative expression can be powerful tool for empowerment, self determination, expression. One challenge for us is that all the creative media were very much analogue and carried out in groups, so a process of thinking about how we can translate those qualities to a digital platform is what we seek to do with people as we proceed.