Reflected Legacy Palliative Care Program at Liverpool Hospital

Dry July is thrilled to be able to support ‘Reflected Legacy’, a ground breaking arts and health program at Liverpool Hospital. This program received funding from Dry July’s 2015 Grant Program.

Lead by visual artist Flutter Lyon, this project complements the holistic care of cancer patients in palliative care, while enhancing and changing the physical environment for patients, families and staff on the ward.

How the Program Works

Flutter Lyon hosts Pressing Sessions in patient rooms; profound, interactive experiences between the artist and the patient that combine storytelling and art making. Through a series of questions and storytelling exercises Flutter captures the life stories of people in the last days and weeks of their life in unique Ink-Pressing artworks and sound recordings, which are then given to the patient and their family as a gift of art and legacy.


Connection. Insight. Healing.

When we tell our stories, it gives us a way of sharing and reflecting upon the life we are living. Free expression and storytelling in this setting offers a deepened sense of connection to the value and meaning of our individual and shared life experiences.

It can bring comfort, celebration and beauty during a challenging time in our lives, encouraging the recall of memories and key points in our life that we have felt free, joyous, loving and loved, strong and hopeful. By remembering what we have done and seeing the powerful nature of our human experience, it can help empower us to find the strength and bravery we might desire now.

What the Program Does

This powerful experience, when taken into the palliative care space, provides tangible outcomes:

  • -patients report improvements to their mood, pain management, appetite and sleep patterns;
  • families report feeling uplifted and more connected; and
  • staff report new insights into patient care and a greater sense of support and resilience within the ward environment

Who the Project is For

Patients and loved ones engaged in the Palliative Care services at Liverpool Hospital.

This story was originally posted on Flutter Lyon’s Facebook Page