Touching
the Rainbow
background
Madeleine
Mayhew
Touching
the Rainbow Background Beams of rainbow colour radiate from a circle
of solid black over a green landscape. This was one of the ways Wally
Backshall coloured his feelings about his illness - cancer, "A
black hole and then coming through to light, a coming to terms with
the illness," is how he explained his painting. "Its surprising
how talking about the illness and then putting thoughts into colour
worked," added Wally. Wally was one of more than 60 people - patients,
relatives, friends, health professionals and volunteers - affected by
cancer who took up the invitation to work with professional artist and
cancer patient Michele Angelo Petrone.
The free art workshops 'Colour Our Feelings' took place during August
and September 1998 at St Peter and St James Hospice, North Chailey.
There was a two week public exhibition of the work done.
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It included over 200 paintings, prose, decorated stones that will be
a permanent feature of a new Hospice garden, masks and a Tree of Life
was held at the end of September 1998. Colour our Feelings was a unique
collaboration between Michele, the Health Promotion Department of East
Sussex Brighton and Hove Health Authority, St Peter and St James Hospice
and Lewes District Council. Colour Our Feelings followed the successful
tour of Michele's powerful exhibition 'An Emotional Cancer Journey'
across East Sussex Brighton and Hove in 1997. Michele found the experience
of being 'artist in residence' at the Hospice and working with people
of all ages, backgrounds and a range of experiences of the illness very
rewarding. "People used the workshops for different things. For
some they were a form of escape and recreation while others wanted to
think and talk about different aspects of their illness and to explore
ways of expressing their feelings about what is a life-threatening illness,"
said Michele. "My aim was to help people feel at ease and to guide
them so they felt free to express whatever they wanted.
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The Hospice
was a safe environment, particularly for anyone having difficulties
coming to terms with illness and mortality. What was important was what
each individual got out of it." Sister Margaret Scully said the
workshops and exhibition were very positive experiences for the hospice
patients, staff and visitors. "People were so open with Michele,
perhaps because he has cancer himself. There was an immediate rapport
between him and those taking part in the workshops. One man said the
experience had done more for him than anything else and many people
were given a real lift." Health Promotion Adviser Margaret Felton
said the workshops were a way of raising awareness about cancer and
giving people the chance to think about the illness in a creative way.
"Cancer can be a difficult and painful illness. There can be a
lot of fear and isolation. The workshops were an opportunity for people
to explore and express their feelings in a safe and supportive environment,"
added Margaret. Following the workshops and the exhibition Michele invited
eighteen of the participants to talk about their paintings in a series
of recorded interviews. During the past ten months the pictures and
texts were edited and put together, the result is this unique combination
of pictures and words 'Touching the Rainbow'.