2SPACES increases psycho-social well-being of young adults cancer patients

 

Hanne, 18 years old, is diagnosed with cancer. Just as she is discovering the world and her own identity she finds herself in a mini-lockdown and a strange world. How do you deal with that?

Art Thinking and Design Thinking hand in hand in the medical world

 

Workshops artists - young adult cancer patients

Three workshops set up by three artist-curators and the artist-partners and developed in collaboration with the young adult cancer patients, the Aya's.

Connect2Nature: working on a balance between body and mind by (re)connecting with Nature on both a physical and psychological level: care for body & mind. The workshop is composed of 3 parts: we start with a walk by the sea, the intention is to become part of nature. Therefore we do Tai Chi - inner movement art - on the beach and with the sea and its murmurings as a backdrop and soundtrack.  The Tai Chi also brings us to the Chinese calligraphy. We explore how the Chinese characters are connected to nature, and let ourselves be carried away by the meditative effect of calligraphy. Afterwards, we will collect organic materials that we will use afterwards in the creation of biofabrics based on agar agar and with designs from algae. These bioplastics are examples of circular design: local components, totally reusable and compostable. We also investigate how we can make algae and microalgae into herbal products and food.

Artists Anne Marie Maes, Mieke Franquet and Dan Vercammen

 

 

Blueprint: searching for your identity after treatment. Before you make the blueprint of yourself, it is important to think about what exactly you want to leave behind. And then... Lay down in the paint! Leaving everything behind on the canvas. Imprint. To print is to let go and to let go is to create space. You give something to the earth. It happens very slowly. Showering afterwards is also part of it. Rinsing off the ink, what you no longer need. The result is never what you expected...'.

Creating your own stamp teaches you a lot about yourself. Taking the time you need, daring to choose, letting go, what do I keep, what do I give away, the game of hard and soft, high and low, creating transitions, purging, making your mark, letting go again and enjoying being 'on the road'. 

Artists Sophie De Somere, Barbara Raes, Sarah Eeckhaut, Joris van Oosterwijck

 

Dealing with the physical is a delicate exercise in which trust between the participants and the artist plays a major role in being able to open up vulnerably within his own physical intimacy. Getting acquainted with movement and looking from there at which proportions connect with everyone is very important. Slowly building up the physical and vulnerable capacity. In this process, attention was paid to relaxation, breathing and pre-sleep among others. Each session built on the previous one. There were both online and live sessions.

Artists Alexander Vantournhout en Esse Vanderbruggen

 

 

Design Fest Ghent Sunday 24 04 2022 at 11 am

Exhibition - Panel discussion - Psychosocial well-being - 2Spaces in NEST

 

 

Exhibition of the creations that are part of the process that the artists and the Ayas went through in the workshops. This also forms the basis for the development of the digital prototype that will provide the method for promoting the psychosocial wellbeing of the Ayas through the use of their own creativity.

 

 

In a panel discussion we highlight the psychosocial well-being of young patients with cancer and chronic diseases. At the table are, among others, haematologist Tessa Kerre, psychiatrist Uus Knops, Astrid David, Paulien Melis, Sophie De Somere and Julie Vandenbroucke, together with participants - artists and target group - from the ongoing research project 2Spaces

Het Nest is a creation of the design students of the KASK, which allows them to experience vulnerability in a safe environment and to talk about it.

 

 

Our goal

To increase the psycho-social well-being of young cancer patients, AYAs (Adolescents and Young Adults) between the ages of 18 -35. AYAs with cancer experience concerns about work, education, relationships, independence...that require specific attention. In the journey to adulthood, the diagnosis of cancer disrupts their physical and psychological development, the social impact of which cannot be underestimated. Age-specific care is needed to promote quality of life and reintegration.

We explore how art and digital technology contribute to the well-being of the AYAs. We do this by combining Design Thinking and Art Thinking.

Online platform: we will unlock the stories and creations through an online platform so that all AYAs around the world can experience the spaces/stories. They can experience contact with their peers through art and technology.

 

The Ayas

Since there is very little group formation among the Ayas peers, this is an unforeseen and difficult point that has required a lot of effort within this 2Spaces project. Currently, there is a group of 12 Ayas who are committed to this project.
They participate in the workshops set up by the artists. In partnership and in interaction with the artist, they go through the process that should lead to a method to promote the psycho-social well-being of them and their peers. They are also represented on the general and technological advisory board.

 

 

The artists

Three artist-curators have been chosen who each involve other artists in their workshop so that there is variation in the use of disciplines and approaches. They are also members of the technology advisory board.

Three artist-curators:

• AnneMarie Maes: media art, video art, sculpture with nature and the organic.
• Alexander Vantournhout: choreographer, mix of dance/circus, space, object.
• Barbara Raes, Beyond the Spoken & Sophie De Somere, Onbetaalbaar: new farewell rituals, mix of art-design-wellbeing.

 

Process

Taster sessions:
In order to give the Aya's the opportunity to gain as much experience as possible with the differences in approach, themes and disciplines of the artists, it was decided to set up a half-day introduction that can be followed by all Aya's and after which they can choose which of the three or all three of the workshops they want to follow.

 

Technological Advisory Board

• Paulien Melis: Waag (NL), Studio Junctuur (NL)
• Christel De Maeyer: researcher, top 50 Belgian tech pioneers
• Nathalie Belpame: researcher Cancer Centre UZ Ghent
• The artists: Annemie Maes, Alexander Vantournhout, Barbara Raes and Sophie De Somere
• The Ayas
• Julie Vandebroucke: founder 2Spaces and founder/director Arteconomy
• Nathalie Goethals: founder 2Spaces and founder/director iDROPS
• Annelien Hofmans: coordinator 2Spaces, social designer iDROPs

 

General Advisory Board

• Christel De Maeyer: researcher, top 50 Belgian tech pioneers
• Prof. Uus Knops: psychiatrist
• Prof. Tessa Kerre: haematologist
• Dirk De Wit: coordinator Kunstenpunt
• The  Ayas:
• Julie Vandenbroucke: founder 2Spaces and founder/director Arteconomy
• Nathalie Goethals: founder 2Spaces and founder/director iDROPS
• Annelien Hofmans: coordinator 2Spaces, social designer iDROPS

 

Partners