BREAST CANCER IN INDIA: AWARENESS THROUGH CREATIVITY
Interactive art activity for Breast Cancer Awareness
By Mahima Sharma & Ishir Sharma
“Breast Cancer Awareness Month…helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease” [1]
The idea of having October as a ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ has been promoted by the WHO as a means of spreading the message of Breast Cancer awareness, in particular the need to undergo regular breast cancer screening.
Having worked in the laboratory on cancer cells, we wanted to link my research experience with my passion for art. As a result, we decided to visit the Department of Oncology at St. John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore to discuss any possible opportunities of carrying out an awareness program at St. John’s. We were very fortunate to have their support. Having also explored block-printing as an art form, we decided that an interactive block-printing demonstration/activity would be a creative way to engage those at the Oncology Department.
After receiving permission from the St. John’s management and our school, we began consolidating the idea into a concrete proposal. After several conversations with the St. John’s team, we could feel the mutual excitement as we were able to develop the program into something more tangible by the day. We concluded that having cloth bags mementos for participants to print on would be an engaging activity and we procured cloth bags from a wholesale store in Chickpet, Bangalore and also obtained additional white handkerchiefs. St. John’s Cancer Registry was kind enough to assist us in the creation of awareness brochures and advertising posters for the event. The brochures contained information regarding Breast Cancer self examination and the posters comprised details of the venue, timing and the interactive nature of the block printing activity. We also made a banner and generated an iterating slideshow with the program details on a display screen we put up to attract passers-by.
The task of assembling items at the entrance of the Oncology Department lobby was facilitated by the staff of the Department. This process involved a speedy setup of the tables, posters, chairs, computer display and all the art material (printing blocks, sponge, dyes, paints, cloth bags, stamps etc.) required for the project.
We quickly gained a feeling of comfort and excitement as several people began to join in. From drivers, to housekeeping staff, to patients, visitors, college students and staff, we catered to people of all ages and professions. From young children to elderly women, we could see the joy in the faces of all participants who began to take delight in every design they printed. At the completion of each their prints, a brief message on breast cancer awareness was shared along with a printed leaflet on self examination that was inserted into the bag. We felt glad that we were able to use my skill at art to spread a simple, but important wellness message.
The project had a profoundly successful outcome in terms of participation. With over a hundred and thirty participants and many more spectators, the event not only served its purpose of spreading awareness through a creative and interactive session, but also lit up the faces of people around the campus, on the auspicious Diwali holiday. In fact, the event was so popular, that we ran out of bags and had to switch over to printing on handkerchiefs, which also ran out by the end. Personally, we were happy to have spread the message in this innovative fashion. Not only will those who took part cherish their very own customized print bags with the breast cancer awareness logo included, but they will also have a far greater memory of the purpose and cause of the project. With this, we hope that we have been able to make a difference to at least some of the participants and their families.
[1] World Health Organization (WHO).
Art for Cancer 