Here at OUTpatients, our support services centre around making authentic connections with a community of LGBTIQ+ people who are also affected by cancer.
We are always proudly led ‘by and for’ our community affected by cancer. So when we heard during our service user consultation this year that our users wanted more opportunities to learn a creative skill, we got to work!
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Last month OUTpatients had the pleasure of hosting two free photography workshops with our neighbour Lowe H Seger of Studio Nihilities.
We ran one session online and one session in person. Our attendees – all LGBTIQ+ people affected by cancer – learned about the history of photography, its uses and meanings in today’s photo-rich world, and how to best use their smartphones to take photos.
People joined us from all over the UK and Ireland. Attendees affected by a range of different types of cancers and with a variety of LGBTIQ+ identities were able to come together to learn, to be heard, and to enjoy themselves.
The LGBTIQ+ community has a rich history of connection with the arts. One of the most uplifting outcomes of the day was learning alongside attendees who had a previous interest in photography, but had not been able to practise it for a long time.
We received wonderful feedback for these sessions. Attendees said it had inspired them, boosted their confidence, and offered them connection not only with others, but with themselves.
And it doesn’t stop there! These workshops were generously supported by Bootstrap charity. Bootstrap have also generously given us a space to exhibit the photographs taken by the workshop attendees.
The show will open with a private view where our new photographers can be congratulated. The show will then be open in the reception gallery of the Bootstrap Charity Print House (London, E8 3DL) from the 29th November 2024 to the 20th of December 2024.
If you’re in London, and interested in coming to see the photographs, don’t hesitate to drop by!
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OUTpatients hosts monthly online support peer sessions for LGBTIQ+ people affected by cancer. We have a group for patients, a group for supporters such as partners, families (including chosen families), and carers, and a group for people affected by breast cancer. Find out more on our support page, and join our patients or supporters mailing list to keep up to date with upcoming sessions.
Interested in working with us to host a creative session? Contact us here.