The art of dying: Aesthetics and palliative care

Here is an article I just had published based on my experience working as a Community Artist for St. Christopher's Hospice in South London. This institution was not what may come to mind as a typical hospice, but rather it was a holistic care and education centre, complete with a performance / music room, a large central hall with a cafe and public seating, a gym, a landscaped garden and a wonderful atrium that is used for art workshops. I was part of the Arts Team, a selection of about 8 individuals with specialities in visual arts, graphic design, music, music therapy, video and performance. My time working there was formative and I learned much about death and dying and the arts which I discuss in this paper.

Here is a link to the journal:
http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-Issue,id=2052/

You do have to subscribe, though back issues are still free. If you are interested in knowing more about the article just email me.

Abstract below:

Volume 2 Issue 2

Cover Date: August 2011

The art of dying: Aesthetics and palliative care

Authors:  Roberto Sánchez-Camus
DOI: 10.1386/jaah.2.2.155_7

Keywords
death and dying,liminality,aesthetics,place-making,St Christopher’s Hospice,palliative care,

Abstract

The Art of Dying explores the function of arts integration into the management of death. The article focuses on a practitioner’s point of view as a Community Artist at St Christopher’s Hospice in London. Looking at how the death process itself functions as a transitory and liminal phase in life, the article proposes that the arts are an integral component of dying. With references to creative texts that have shaped how we view and manage death The Art of Dying demonstrates the methods in which arts can be integrated into the dying process. The creative process is shown through two case studies to assist the dying person in dealing with the complexities of the transitional phase, allowing a level of objectivity and critical thinking. The article concludes with the power of place-making through memory and its impact on legacy and a new narration of life when faced with death.

Budget Cuts Mural @ Bucks New University

Somehow the University gave me free access to create a mural about the budget cuts just in time for the visit of University Minister David Willetts. I'm told her was steered clear from ever viewing it on the day he came to campus. Nevertheless a great endeavour and mention in this article of Times Higher Education.

Click for Link to Article


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Inside Art: Young Offenders showcased at National Gallery

Inside Art is an outreach programme, which aims to engage young offenders in creatively responding to the National Gallery’s collection; it has been developed in partnership with HMYOI Feltham, a juvenile prison and young offenders institution for young men aged 15–21.

National Gallery, London

8 February – 25 April 2010

Youth Visions Documentary Screening in Ghana, West Africa

Screened the documentary of the project Youth Visions we created two years ago, a collaboration between myself and Sebastian Fuller who was working with Youth Development Alliance in the Northeastern region of Ghana. We merged my arts practice with his public health work to create a new model of disseminating the HIV/AIDS prevention material. We worked with two different schools, one in a village and one in a city to create a mural and a performance. Participants also went on a radio programme hosted by DJ Kimo of URA Radio Bolgatanga, Part of the project was documenting the process with the students who helped film their work. It was delayed two years but finally thanks to the work of filmmaker Malina de Carlo the footage was edited and a story created from the piles of footage.

Returning to show the film was intense. A 10-day tour that included screenings in three different locations, including an outdoor projection on the side of the school in the village of Kongo, where dry thunder came overhead whilst the movie played to a host of villagers who arrived to see the event... (pic above)

Most of our students were in their last year of school when we ran the project so after two years many had moved to other cities, gone to university, gotten married and had kids and so forth.. But we did have a couple attend, one student Lucy bused into Accra for four hours to attend a screening. She wore the Youth Visions t-shirt we gave them on the last day, it was stark white and new, she had saved it for the two years awaiting our return as we had promised we would. This really filled me with happiness to be able to return and deliver an impressive film marking a great project. Our facilitators flew in from California and China to be there for this as well! Was intense all around...

Read more about the project here: link

See photos here: link

Movie will be screened at the Brunel University School of Arts Postgraduate Researching the Arts Conference on Wednesday May 19, 2010 throughout the day. link

The Story of Stuff

An animated film by Annie Leonard that spells out our consumption constipation

NYTimes article

Banks and Lenders

This is my student's final project from the Theatre Events and Audiences module I developed and implemented at Buckinghampshire New University