The national integrative cancer care charity Yes to Life is combining forces with Artlift, the pioneering Gloucestershire-based Arts on Prescription provider, to produce a new magazine Flourish by and for people living with or beyond cancer.
Submissions of artwork, photography, writing, film and audio are being sought for the first pilot edition of Flourish Magazine, which will explore the benefits of an integrative and creative approach to living with cancer, around the theme of Nourish, with a deadline of May 9th.
The Flourish Magazine idea is funded by Big Lottery’s Awards to for All to Artlift and supported by Macmillan Cancer Support and Gloucestershire Health & Care. It has emerged from Artlift’s Flourish Arts on Prescription programme, and Yes to Life’s Stroud-based Wigwam Cancer support group.
Former Flourish participant and Steering Group member Annie Gotts said: “Using creativity alongside conventional cancer therapies has allowed me to feel like a whole person again, rather than just a patient. I want to help more people in Gloucestershire to share the benefits of incorporating creativity into their lives through the magazine”.
Philip Booth, who is part of Yes to Life’s Stroud Wigwam Cancer Support Group said: “We hope the magazine will be stunning to look at and inspiring to read. A picture can paint a thousand words – it is such a powerful way of enabling people to help change the conversations around cancer, to tackle taboo topics and share experiences to help people feel less alone. Whether you are someone living with cancer, a family member or cancer professional we are looking for your submissions to this exciting new project.”
Anyone interested in contributing creatively or supporting the future sustainability of this much-needed new venture, giving people with cancer and those supporting them a voice, please contact Flourish Magazine’s Editor Natalie Beech at flourish.mag@artlift.org.