Goodbye Breasts! is an inspiring artistic exploration of breast cancer and the path to recovery

Devised by Joanna Callaghan, an artist filmmaker and a Professor of Filmmaking at the University of Sussex, Goodbye Breasts! is an inspiring artistic exploration of breast cancer and the path to recovery.

The project aims to:

• Empower women and girls to talk about breast health by creating spaces outside of clinical frameworks in which conversations can be had
• Raise awareness of early detection of breast cancer through breast checking and screening
• Increase knowledge of faulty genes in people who carry them, the general public and medical professionals
• Highlight the role of arts and creativity in health and wellbeing

It brings people of all ages and backgrounds into the conversation, providing alternative ways to listen and hear from those affected by the issues, through exhibitions, a documentary, short films, workshops, creative writing, talks, events and social media.

The exhibition

“Made me feel very positive about all the amazing things that can come out of the monstrosity that is cancer!” - Exhibition visitor

During the touring exhibition, visitors explore a 9m inflatable breast installation accompanied by an audio-soundscape. Visitors can enter the Big Breast itself, where they will encounter the wonderous world of breast anatomy and listen to a soundscape of stories from people affected by the issues, alongside an explanation of what they are seeing. After their visit to the Big Breast, short film screenings are available, including an extract from Joanna’s documentary and an imaginative journey into the body following a breast cancer diagnosis.

You can view ‘My Fantastic Voyage’ by Heraclitus Pictures here.

The Reflection Zone is a space that facilitates conversations and interactions. In the reflection zone, visitors can discover a wealth of resources, engaging activities, and additional information, as well as contribute their own thoughts and reflections on the ‘My Breasts, My Story’ wall.

Evaluation of the exhibition found that:

• 80% of visitors gained a better understanding of the importance of talking about breast health.
• 61% of visitors felt more likely to initiate a conversation with family or friends about breast health
• 86% of visitors gained a better understanding of the value of the arts in health and wellbeing.
• 55% of visitors said they were more likely to engage in a creative activity to support their health and well-being.

Associated events and activities

Goodbye Breasts! collaborated with Project Female, a Brighton-based dance company, and worked with women who had undergone mastectomy to devise a dance based on post-surgery exercises. The Boob Boob Dance was then taught to young dancers and performed for the music video, Meet Me On The Dance Floor - a catchy pop song that tells the story of having breast cancer and a mastectomy. A dance tutorial was created for TikTok and people were encouraged to learn, record and share their dance, joining in the conversation.

A range of events ran alongside the exhibition, including Artist’s Talks, Round Tables and creative workshops in writing or dance. A 70-minute film, a story of loss, recovery and a celebration of life after serious illness, will be released in 2024. This documents Joanna’s experience as a two-time cancer survivor as well as the making of the exhibition. You can see a trailer here.

Impact

Breast Cancer survival has doubled in the last 50 years in the UK, and 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Goodbye Breasts! is a creative intervention in alignment with the Women’s Health Strategy which prioritises better breast education for women and girls, early screening options for faulty gene carriers and personalised pathways for care and recovery. The strategy focuses on improving health outcomes for women throughout their lifetime, recognising the role of women’s voices in the development and implementation of healthcare policies and services.

Goodbye Breasts! uses a creative health approach to raise awareness and open up conversations about breast cancer in a non-clinical space. It also highlights the importance of creative approaches in both supporting people through treatment and recovery and in the expression and communication of the lived experience of breast cancer. This could also form an important part of staff training, improving clinician understanding of the patient experience.

“The emotional impact of a breast cancer diagnosis in patients is not always fully recognised or addressed in the course of current therapeutic interactions with clinical practitioners… this project could help to provide space for that support, especially for those patients who find the arts to be a natural channel of dealing with the trauma of diagnosis and treatment.” - Professor Malcolm Reed, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, NHS Consultant

Goodbye Breasts! ran in Breast Cancer Awareness Week 2023, at the Dance Space in Brighton.

Find out more about the exhibition and future events here - https://www.goodbyebreasts.com/