There’s a story written in our genetic code.
Around one in 350 Australians carry the BRCA1 or BRCA 2 pathogenic variant, substantially increasing risk of certain cancers. Some make this discovery after their own cancer, some following cancer in their family and some find out when looking into their heritage. These experiences strongly affect how people see themselves and their relationships.
Creative Gene is a new arts and health program, building on previous successful programs such as Flesh After Fifty and In My Prime. Those with lived experience of BRCA1/2 have come together with the artist Deborah Kelly to make original art works which will be shared across Melbourne. During November, posters of these art works, plus other work focusing on BRCA1/2, will be distributed across Melbourne in the inner-north and south-east.
Join Professor Martha Hickey and the artists of these incredible works as they come together for a workshop, where those with lived experience will share their stories and connect with members of the community. For those attendees with a lived experience of BRCA 1 and 2 this is an opportunity to share and tell their own stories.
What to expect:
Notes on accessibility:
This activity is produced in collaboration with Being Human, the UK’s only international festival of the humanities.
Explore the full Faculty of Arts international hub program here.
Professor Martha Hickey
Professor Martha Hickey is a world leading researcher in menopause and healthy ageing. She runs menopause services at the Women’s Hospital and has a particular focus on managing menopause after cancer. She cares for many BRCA1/2 patients and was struck by the complexity of their experiences and choices, and wished to try and represent these using art. She previously led the successful Flesh after Fifty art project focusing on positive images of older women.
Deborah Kelly
Deborah Kelly is a Sydney-based artist who works across disciplinary and geographical boundaries to produce artworks which encompass collage, installation, event and performance. Her projects are often collaborative and concerned with lineages of representation, politics and history in public exchange, and practices of collectivity on small and large scale, from epic to intimate, both fleeting and durational.
