COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Jean visited various communities on her journey around the coast and is continuing the Drawing Breath project by working on the project’s themes with some of the groups she met en route.

One of these groups is the Canterbury & District Breathe Easy group of which Jean is a member. The group is part of the British Lung Foundation UK-wide network of support groups for anyone affected by lung disease. Jean’s group has already given a great deal of support to the Drawing Breath project and individual members have been participating in self-directed portraiture work this summer, to be included in "Drawing Breath Recycled", an exhibition which opens  on 2nd October 08.

Through the new Drawing Breath Music Group, Jean set up a collaboration between the Betteshanger Brass Band and Annie Whitehead, professional jazz trombonist and composer and commissioned Annie to compose a new piece of music for the band. The Drawing Breath Music Project is grateful to the PRS Foundation for funding this project, which celebrates music made by breath and breathing and acknowledges the history of occupational lung disease in the mining community that gave rise to the existence of brass bands in the first place.

The new composition was premiered by the Betteshanger Band at the launch concert of the Deal Music Festival on 5th July 2008 (see Events page for details)

Jean has also undertaken a health-themed residency based on her coastal journey with Year Five at Herne Bay Junior School this summer term, building a life-size bicycle sculpture with driftwood collected from the Kent coast. These children will be able to make a trip to see their work at the Horsebridge Arts and Community Centre during "Drawing Breath Recycled" this term.

Jean is collaborating with other arts practitioners, teachers and health workers on much of this work. She would also like to hear from arts practitioners who might be interested in making work that responds to the themes of the Drawing Breath project with other communities.