Bodies - a play about cancer.

Thank-you to all to came along to see the first performances of Bodies, I've just posted an update of something I wrote after the play with some of the views and comments. Huge thank-you also to the Crawley MP Henry Smith who is not only a Olive Tree supporter but also a Blood Cancer supporter and is on the All Party Parliamentary Blood Cancer group. Consdiering was also the Conserative Party confrenece on Monday huge apprication for our MP for spending time in Crawley to attend and support a new local initaive sharing and improving the cancer conversation. Thanks also to Nicoloas Owen and his daughter Rebecca ( what a great name!!) for not just coming along but also supporting The Olive Tree as the Presdient and for charing the Q & A after the play and for your views and feedback. It was also great to introduce The Olive Tree and what we offer to the new mayor of Crawley - Carlos Castro who came to the play with his daughter. The Mayor commented to me about how incredible the wide range of amazing charities there are in Crawley of which the Olive Tree is important being the only cancer support centre. Thank-you to all those who have been kind enough to pledge to our crowdfunding campaign, just a few days to go now! Some friends also gave me cash on the night - Edyta in London, Ericka and Jenny in Crawley which I have now added - thank-you very much! Any and all further feedback from the play is very welcome. Huge thank-yous all around!

Crowdfunded play on cancer at the Hawth marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month highlighting the 370 men diagnosed in the UK each year. Emerging from Blood Cancer Awareness month into the pink focus surrounding Breast Cancer Awareness some of the realities of having a cancer diagnosis were highlighted upon with a newly written play ‘Bodies’ at The Hawth on Monday October 1st with donations taken and raffle tickets sold for the Olive Tree Cancer support centre on the night. The evening was attended by many Olive Tree supporters, those who have links in supporting those with cancer in the Crawley and wider Sussex community. It included dignitaries such as the Mayor of Crawley Carlos Castro, BBC News reader and Olive Tree President Nicholas Owen and Crawley MP Henry Smith who also chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Blood Cancer awareness and is an active Olive Tree supporter Written by Raminder Kaur, the Crawley-based artistic company Sohaya Visions and collaborated with the Mukul and Ghetto Tigers with funding from the Arts Council to allow the team to research, focus, develop, perform, and expand the script. When one in two people are likely to get cancer in their lifetime knowing what to do and how to deal with it becomes more important. Bodies is an experimental, multi-media show that combines tragedy with comedy, weaving ancient Indian and contemporary stories about dilemmas of the body, mind and people’s experiences with cancer. A Question and Answer session took place after the play which was chaired by Nicholas Owen and brought the team of performers and creatives some great feedback. Kusum Chaplain manager of the Cancer Research UK Windsor shop said that “the play should be taken to more loca tions to improve the conversation around cancer” and “the performance was awesome” MP Henry Smith thought ‘it has been a very moving performance which goes across the spectrum of peoples experience of cancer….a remarkable show’ and has shown his support on Twitter for the project. Shine member Craig Bakin said that “the music, acting and effects and characters were very interesting and inspirational, it was wonderful”. Shine is a unique charity which supports young adults from ages 20-50 with all cancers across the UK including Shine Sussex that hosts local meet ups. Nicholas Owen reflected “From personal experience-I recognise so many bits. I think you did a difficult job in a fascinating way with some marvellous comedic moments”. Bodies is a new Spacehive crowdfunded initiative backed by Crawley Borough Council with a fantastic £800 pledge. Our https://www.spacehive.com/bodies Crowdfunding page really needs some more pledges- £5, £10 and upwards would be very helpful as the crowdfunding closes on October 8th – were just days away to reach target! Spacehive crowdfunding is an all or nothing model and we will only receive the total money including the pledge from Crawley Council if we reach the target. This will allow us to provide funds for: videography and Crawley photographer David Dawes to make the parts of the play available for all to view online, improve educational awareness and community engagement and based on feedback to develop Bodies to perform again to widen, share and improve the cancer conversation with this new artistic artform. Rebecca Dorkins https://bodiescancerplay.wordpress.com/ https://www.spacehive.com/bodies https://www.sohayavisions.com/ http://www.mukulandghettotigers.com

Thank-you so much to Crawley Council and the Crawley Neighbourhood Initiative fund for your interest and incredible support in the way of a pledge for £800. We will be endeavouring to film the play and have this available on a public website for all to view and for the play on October 1st to be used for Research and Development and following reviews and feedback for the play to continue to be performed again after October 1st. Henry Smith Crawley MP who is a active Bloodwise supporter and September is #BloodCancerAwarenessMonth will be attending the play, David Cooper the Crawley Community Officer for West Green and the new Crawley Mayor Carlos Castro. The leaflets are now out and some are at The Olive Tree and around Crawley. If you would like to attend Bodies please do get in touch! And pledges are still being accepted and very welcome! Thank-you