Dry July funds are going towards the establishment of an artist residency program at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness Centre, that will engage patients and carers in creating artwork that is personally meaningful during their stay as an inpatient or while attending the centre as an outpatient.

When patients and carers come into a Cancer Centre they are often anxious, scared and feel isolated from their families and wider community. The artist in residence program will enable them to engage in artistic activities that allow them to relax and engage in their own creativity, to express their feelings, to engage in an activity that distracts them from the rigour of treatment and that connects them with the wider community. Through the arts, people with cancer and their carers are able to find a “safe space” for themselves during what is often a confronting life experience.

One of the highlights of the project was the Art Therapy Brain Cancer Support Group - Mosaic Sculpture, as pictured here.