Growing Up With Cancer is an innovative project using research and creative practice to understand the experience of having cancer during adolescence and young adulthood. Funded through an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (LP0883632), it brought together researchers, artists, advocates and clinicians at the Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine at the University of Sydney, the University of Newcastle, the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and CanTeen – the Australian Organisation for Young People Living with Cancer.
During 2010 and 2011, 27 young people participated in interviews about the nature and extent of the impact of cancer on the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Of these, 19 collaborated with artist Kris Smith or worked on their own, to produce a self-portrait that represented them and the impact of cancer on their experience of growing up.
In September 2012, we launched a series of exhibitions of these beautiful, poignant, strong, funny, and thought-provoking images. These exhibitions will be happening across the country in 2012 and 2013. We invite the general public to come and celebrate the creative expression of these young people’s experiences of growing up with cancer.
Exhibition Dates and Venues:
September 25 – October 15: Riverside Theatres, Parramatta LAUNCH 6 October
October 17 – November 7: Xavier Space at Saint Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst
November 12 – December 8: Children’s Hospital at Westmead
December – January: The Rocks Pop-up venue, Sydney
February 18 – 22: Fed Square, Melbourne LAUNCH tba
March: Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne
May: Downing Centre Display Cases, Sydney
Check out our Growing Up with Cancer project webpage for up to date information
Julie Mooney-Somers 