Solace Project
Solace Project site specific installation at Central Saint Martins Window Gallery 2, January 2019
Solace Project at Princess Alice hospice, 2018
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Solace Project was a participatory project working with patients and the bereaved across two hospices, Princess Alice Hospice in Surrey and Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted.
Just before Sophie began her MA at Central Saint Martins her mother, Sue, was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before she retired Sue had been a knitwear designer and well-loved, long-term course leader at London College of Fashion. She continued to make her own work right up until a few weeks before she died. This gave Sophie and Sue something physical to hold onto, and bond over as they discussed what was being made. As well as this being a distraction from living with a terminal illness it was also a therapeutic process that informed the work that Sophie made at the time.
During her illness Sue was cared for by Princess Alice Hospice in Surrey. She died a week after Sophie’s MA degree show. Solace Project was therefore, conceived by Sophie as an idea to give something back to the place that had cared for Sue, by doing something unique that we, as artists are able to do.
After much consideration and planning Sophie founded Solace Project with artists Ingrid Pumayalla and Irini Folerou. The pilot of this project took place at Princess Alice Hospice with the involvement of art therapist Annalie Ashwell. The aim of the project was to co-produce a work of art to exhibit at the hospice and elsewhere. The participants of the pilot included current patients of the hospice, those who have been bereaved, and their friends and families. The project intended to help participants to regain a sense of worth, purpose, identity and feelings of control at such a difficult stage in life. The participants of each Solace Project were all considered co-producers and their work is fundamental to the final artwork.
Both Sophie and Ingrid work with the idea of preserving skills that are traditional to women and therefore, generally considered ‘craft’ as opposed to fine art. The pilot at Princess Alice Hospice took the form of 4 workshops where the artists taught three different craft skills. The first was weaving, lead by Irini, the second was giant cross-stitch, that Sophie uses unconventionally in her own art practice, and the third was crochet, lead by Ingrid. In the final session everyone worked to finish their pieces, and also took them away to work further. Workshops were structured around what patients with limited mobility might be able to do, and with the understanding that it might be difficult to make anything too detailed, depending on the patients' illness etc, and these skills become a piece considered “fine art”.
The process of creating something with their hands that is substantial and long lasting gave the participants of the project the same sense of legacy that Sue was able to leave behind with the pieces that she had made. With the Solace Project the main material is various types and ways of using wool which is also a reminder of Sue that is important to our work.
Solace Project at Princess Alice Hospice was awarded an arts grant from the RC Sherriff Trust "to increase opportunities for all Elmbridge residents to take part in or experience high-quality arts activities, whatever their economic or social circumstances." The rest of the money needed to fund our pilot project was raised by a successful crowdfunding campaign and an auction of emerging and established artists' work.
We were extremely fortunate to be able to hold our fundraising auction at London College of Fashion where we were able to invite former colleagues and friends of Sue as well as other artists. As a result of very generous bidding we were able to exceed our expectations with what we have been able to achieve with the Solace Project so far.
A site-specific installation of Solace Project works was exhibited at the Window Gallery 2, Central Saint Martins, January - February 2019.
Photo credit: Ingrid Pumayalla 2018.
Just before Sophie began her MA at Central Saint Martins her mother, Sue, was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before she retired Sue had been a knitwear designer and well-loved, long-term course leader at London College of Fashion. She continued to make her own work right up until a few weeks before she died. This gave Sophie and Sue something physical to hold onto, and bond over as they discussed what was being made. As well as this being a distraction from living with a terminal illness it was also a therapeutic process that informed the work that Sophie made at the time.
During her illness Sue was cared for by Princess Alice Hospice in Surrey. She died a week after Sophie’s MA degree show. Solace Project was therefore, conceived by Sophie as an idea to give something back to the place that had cared for Sue, by doing something unique that we, as artists are able to do.
After much consideration and planning Sophie founded Solace Project with artists Ingrid Pumayalla and Irini Folerou. The pilot of this project took place at Princess Alice Hospice with the involvement of art therapist Annalie Ashwell. The aim of the project was to co-produce a work of art to exhibit at the hospice and elsewhere. The participants of the pilot included current patients of the hospice, those who have been bereaved, and their friends and families. The project intended to help participants to regain a sense of worth, purpose, identity and feelings of control at such a difficult stage in life. The participants of each Solace Project were all considered co-producers and their work is fundamental to the final artwork.
Both Sophie and Ingrid work with the idea of preserving skills that are traditional to women and therefore, generally considered ‘craft’ as opposed to fine art. The pilot at Princess Alice Hospice took the form of 4 workshops where the artists taught three different craft skills. The first was weaving, lead by Irini, the second was giant cross-stitch, that Sophie uses unconventionally in her own art practice, and the third was crochet, lead by Ingrid. In the final session everyone worked to finish their pieces, and also took them away to work further. Workshops were structured around what patients with limited mobility might be able to do, and with the understanding that it might be difficult to make anything too detailed, depending on the patients' illness etc, and these skills become a piece considered “fine art”.
The process of creating something with their hands that is substantial and long lasting gave the participants of the project the same sense of legacy that Sue was able to leave behind with the pieces that she had made. With the Solace Project the main material is various types and ways of using wool which is also a reminder of Sue that is important to our work.
Solace Project at Princess Alice Hospice was awarded an arts grant from the RC Sherriff Trust "to increase opportunities for all Elmbridge residents to take part in or experience high-quality arts activities, whatever their economic or social circumstances." The rest of the money needed to fund our pilot project was raised by a successful crowdfunding campaign and an auction of emerging and established artists' work.
We were extremely fortunate to be able to hold our fundraising auction at London College of Fashion where we were able to invite former colleagues and friends of Sue as well as other artists. As a result of very generous bidding we were able to exceed our expectations with what we have been able to achieve with the Solace Project so far.
A site-specific installation of Solace Project works was exhibited at the Window Gallery 2, Central Saint Martins, January - February 2019.
Photo credit: Ingrid Pumayalla 2018.
