Revisiting Breathe

This week George Mogg, Karen Taylor and I completed the evaluation of the Breathe Project for Arts Council England, our main sponsor of the programme.

This process has been a wonderful opportunity to review how much we achieved with the programme and the rewarding nature of the work with RBandH staff and patients- I'll never forget the experience or forget the passion with which people engaged with all aspects of the project. I'm taking this opportunity to show some of the images of the 2 events which took place during the exhibition at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

It seems opportune to once again thank ACE and the RBandH charity for their support of this project as well as all of the suppliers who have supported us in kind, especially Bespoke Framing, Inplas and Bodenpress. A massive thank you to Jason Tinsley for another exciting collaborative animation and to Joanna Foster and Katie Rose Window and Rebecca Tanner for their energy and talented input into making the project collaborations so successful. A personal heart felt thanks to the generosity of the patients and staff but also to the incredible project team of curator George Mogg and Karen Taylor and Annabelle Bond from rbandharts whose commitment and dedication to this project has been immense!

It also seems a great opportunity to post some of the feedback from participants in the programme:

“Excellent project, very enjoyable and fun.”

“Something to work towards, Wonderful co-operation between arts team, teachers and choir. A very special event.”

“Very enjoyable. It also exercises the main cells. Gave me confidence in singing without reading from a sheet.”

“It was very enjoyable to take part in this project.”

“Unbelievably beneficial and enjoyable.”

“Good fun.”

“I am making good progress and better breathing”

“The cells working. Makes me very happy.”

“Gave me a lift”

“Definitely enhances quality of life.”

“I used to think art was a luxury, now I think it is a necessity.”

“With a bit of imagination one can make art from everything.”

“Now I notice when and how my breathing affects my well-being.”

“If one concentrates on one's breath, one regulates it.”

“Quality of life improves”

“It’s amazing, I can’t get over it, it’s incredible.”

“Jayne invited us to participate in the Breathe project which sounded brilliant.  On 12th August the singing group explored the dynamics of breath with light on sensitised film.  I was very focused on the experience of "The Dark Tent" making some sounds and breath. I am quite sure this project by Jayne and her colleagues will be of great importance to the wider community in the near future.”

Thanks to Annabelle Bond for the images in this post.