Scotland to modernise breast screening services

A major review of Scotland’s breast screening programme which makes 17 recommendations to strengthen and improve it has been published.  

The report recommends ways to make the breast screening programme more accessible, resilient and sustainable, to drive improvements and build upon successful delivery of services.

These include developing a single programme-wide workforce plan that focuses on role development and redesign, training capacity, leadership for major developments which will help to automate aspects of activity, and benchmarked staffing levels.

It also recommends digital initiatives, including exploring the potential for adoption of Artificial Intelligence in breast screening mammography.

A new Breast Screening Modernisation Programme Board, chaired by Dr Marzi Davies, will take forward the recommendations from the report as well as considering additional ways to modernise the service.

Separate to the modernisation work, the Scottish Breast Screening Programme will see those aged 71 years and over being able to opt to self-refer for appointments once again from autumn 2022, in a phased way which won’t impact on the main screening programme.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “I welcome this report and I am very grateful for the work that went into it while our NHS faced immense pressures in responding to the pandemic.

“We accept all of the recommendations, many of which are already being progressed, such as reinstating self-referral services for those aged 71 years and over, and others that will require careful consideration and planning. 

“It sets out a number of key learning points and opportunities for improving how we do things, and while it was commissioned pre-COVID-19, it’s important to note that the breast screening programme is still recovering from the impacts of the pandemic.

“Among our immediate priorities is ensuring that there is sufficient capacity for women aged between 50-70, the recommended screening population, to be invited for screening every three years.   

“I’m pleased Dr Davies has agreed to chair the breast screening modernisation programme to drive forward key ambitions.”

Breast Screening Modernisation Programme chair Dr Marzi Davies said: “The publication of this review and the establishment of the Breast Screening Modernisation Board represent an exciting opportunity to ensure resilience and deliver a sustainable, more person-centred breast screening programme in Scotland.

“I’m privileged to have been asked to lead this work, which will drive improvements in a number of areas and build upon an already high-quality and effective service.”

Scottish Breast Screening Programme: major review  

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Facing extinction: Half of UK’s butterfly species on latest Red List

  • 24 species of butterfly are now listed as threatened – including 8 that are Endangered – representing a substantial increase compared with the previous assessment.
  • The risk of extinction is increasing for more species than decreasing.
  • There is some hope for species that have been the focus of intense conservation work and have been brought back from the brink of extinction.

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is warning that time is running out to save some of Britain’s best-loved insects, with the latest Red List assessment of butterflies published today, revealing a 26% increase in the number of species threatened with extinction.

Using data gathered by volunteers through the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and Butterflies for the New Millennium recording scheme, scientists from Butterfly Conservation have put together the new Red List, which assesses all the butterfly species that have bred regularly in Great Britain against the rigorous criteria of extinction risk set out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The new Red List is published today in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity.

Of the 62 species assessed, four are extinct in Britain (Black-veined White, Large Tortoiseshell, Large Copper, and Mazarine Blue) with 24 (41% of the remaining species) classed as threatened (8 Endangered, 16 Vulnerable) and a further five (9%) as Near Threatened.

Head of Science for Butterfly Conservation, Dr Richard Fox, says: “Shockingly, half of Britain’s remaining butterfly species are listed as threatened or Near Threatened on the new Red List.

“Even prior to this new assessment, British butterflies were among the most threatened in Europe, and now the number of threatened species in Britain has increased by five, an increase of more than one-quarter.

“While some species have become less threatened, and a few have even dropped off the Red List, the overall increase clearly demonstrates that the deterioration of the status of British butterflies continues apace.”

While land-use change remains the most important driver of decline, the impact of climate change on butterflies is also evident in the new Red List, with all four British butterflies with northerly distributions, adapted to cooler or damper climates, now listed as threatened (Large Heath, Scotch Argus, Northern Brown Argus) or Near Threatened (Mountain Ringlet).

Both the Large Heath and the Grayling have moved from Vulnerable to Endangered, and seven species have moved from Near Threatened to threatened, including the beautiful Swallowtail and Adonis Blue.

Two new species have been added for the first time, Scotch Argus, which is listed as Vulnerable, and Dark Green Fritillary, listed as Near Threatened.

It isn’t bad news for all butterfly species though, with some improvement in status for those that have been the focus of concentrated conservation effort, offering hope for other species.

The Large Blue, which became extinct in Great Britain in 1979 and has been the subject of an intensive, ongoing, and highly successful reintroduction programme, has moved from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened.

The High Brown Fritillary, also formerly listed as Critically Endangered, has moved to Endangered; likely to be the result of intense conservation work from Butterfly Conservation alongside other organisations.

The Duke of Burgundy and Pearl-bordered Fritillary, which have also benefitted from much targeted conservation effort, both moved from Endangered to Vulnerable.

Dr Richard Fox adds: “Where we are able to target conservation work, we have managed to bring species back from the brink, but with the extinction risk increasing for more species than are decreasing, more must be done to protect our butterflies from the effects of changing land management and climate change.

“Without action it is likely that species will be lost from Britain’s landscapes for good, but Butterfly Conservation is taking bold steps to improve key landscapes for butterflies and reduce the extinction risk of many threatened species.”

The production of the new Red List of British butterflies has been led by Butterfly Conservation with input and funding from Natural England.

The full scientific paper can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12582

Coalition launches Covid Safety Pledge

A coalition of trade unions, covid safety groups and the Independent SAGE have launched a new ‘Covid-19 Safety Pledge’, designed to ensure workplaces adopt measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 infections.

The Pledge, aimed at workplaces in both the public and private sectors, asks employers to sign up to three key commitments: protect workers and customers from Covid-19, risk assess their premises and practices to safeguard against infection and specifically ask any workers who test positive for Covid to stay at home while infectious and to provide the support necessary for them to do so.

Employers who sign up for the scheme will be presented as a covid safe workplace, with their name displayed on the Pledge website (covidpledge.co.uk) in addition to being able to display the Pledge sign within their premises.

The move has been backed by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) in addition to covid support groups such as Covid Families for Justice and Clinically Vulnerable Families.

The STUC warned that employers in Scotland should not roll back on health and safety and support for staff. Supermarket giant Sainsbury recently introduced a policy that allows staff to attend work if infected with covid and punishes them for covid related absence.

Commenting, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “It’s vitally important that the legacy of COVID-19 isn’t a rollback on workers’ safety or rights. The Covid-19 Safety Pledge allows employers to stand by their workers, ensuring the highest levels of protection against infection are taken, in addition to supporting staff and consumer wellbeing whilst on their premises.

“For people across Scotland – especially those who are clinically vulnerable – this Pledge can act as a clear indicator of responsibility and support for employers wanting to do right by their staff, customers and service users.

“We are also calling on the Scottish Government to support the pledge. Our joint COVID-19 Fair Work Statement should be updated for the new circumstances but also to continue to commit to the fair treatment of workers and the control of the virus.”

Work Hard Play Hard: Holiday bonus offered to hospitality recruits

Surgeons Quarter offers £2000 getaway to all new full time chefs and full time hospitality members

A FLAGBEARER for Scotland’s hospitality industry has cooked up one of the most exciting benefits packages available, in a bid to continue to grow its workforce beyond record levels.

Containing a holiday package worth £2000 plus a further £1000 in cash bonuses, the rewards await new full-time chefs and full-time hospitality team members joining one of Scotland’s busiest conference and events businesses.

To cut through the competitive jobs market, Surgeons Quarter is launching its ‘Work Hard Play Hard’ recruitment campaign in a bid to be the employer of choice in the sector.

The Living Wage accredited organisation will provide the cash perk in the form of a £500 signing on bonus, along with a £500 end of probation reward, alongside the holiday perk after completing 12 months service. In addition, existing staff in these roles are being offered comparable benefits.

As the commercial arm for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Surgeons Quarter has recently expanded to beyond 150 staff, with demand for its conference, events and hotel soaring as restrictions ease.

Surgeons Quarter, Cafe 1305 Scott Mitchell – Managing Director

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “Our Work Hard Play Hard scheme offers extraordinary bonuses that we hope prospective recruits will jump at the chance of.

“Our jam-packed year of events has meant our requirement for staff has risen to new heights and we are striving to become the employer of choice as the sector booms.

“Like the majority of other hospitality firms, we faced the challenge of a skills shortage after the setbacks of the pandemic and Brexit. It is so exciting, now that we are back up and thriving, to be able to provide our recruits with this fantastic and rare opportunity.”

At the beginning of the year, Surgeons Quarter set a target of increasing staff numbers by 70% and has since seen its payroll top 150 people as demand for in-person meetings and events at its prestigious venues surpass pre-Covid levels.

Its latest recruitment scheme aims to continue building these numbers and the firm is still looking to hire hospitality team members and a number of chef roles, including senior sous, junior sous and banqueting chefs.

For full time chefs joining Surgeons Quarter the organisation is uniquely placed to provide six months on site residential accommodation to help people relocate their career to the city.

Scott added: “It was really important that we were not only providing our newest recruits with financial bonuses, but that our loyal and current staff members were also reaping the well-deserved rewards.

In addition to the ‘Work Hard Play Hard’ scheme Surgeons Quarter offers an enhanced employer contribution pension plan at 7.5%. The company also aims to improve mental health by providing access to employee assistance programme, 24/7, 365 days a year as well as complimentary use of their onsite SQ Gym.

Furthermore, the organisation provides access to discounted staff rates in hotels within the UK and globally plus a 30% staff discount is offered on food and beverage in all SQ outlets.  

“As we enter this busy year and experience the events sector spring back to life, we know that all of our employees will be working hard and we want them to know that this will be rightly recognised.”

Surgeons Quarter, Cafe 1305

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in patient outcomes worldwide.

In addition to its four historic event venues, Surgeons Quarter also manages the 129 bedroom Ten Hill Place Hotel, high-street café 1505 and Surgeons Quarter Travel Agency.

For anyone interested in joining the dynamic and award-winning Surgeons Quarter team, please email recruiment@surgeonsquarter.com

For more information on events, conferences and meeting space at Surgeons Quarter visit: https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/conferences-meetings/

World-renowned bespoke floral show Fleurs De Villes to make Scottish debut at St James Quarter

World-renowned bespoke floral show, Fleurs de Villes, is thrilled to announce the launch of its very first public showing in Scotland, in partnership with St James Quarter – Edinburgh’s chicest retail destination.

The show is open to the public from Friday June 24th, exactly one year on since St James Quarter opened its doors, when guests will be able to tour the self-guided exhibit until Sunday, July 3rd. 

The FEMMES exhibition will showcase a series of fresh floral mannequins celebrating remarkable women around the world. It will partner with local floral talent who will create these floral tributes based on an inspirational photograph or painting of each woman.

Fleurs de Villes is proud to be working with local florists in order to create these illustrious designs and is delighted to be able to offer these artists a platform of creativity within St James Quarter to further showcase their talent.

Be it Scottish monarch Mary Queen of Scots, superstar and activist Annie Lennox or trailblazing actress and Strictly Come Dancing star Rose Lucinda Ayling-Ellis, audiences of all ages, cultures and genders will be able to learn more about these fascinating women through interactive displays.

Images and QR codes on the floral sculptures will link to immersive profiles of each woman highlighting their cultural and historical significance.

  (L-R: Frida Kahlo, Oprah Winfrey and Audrey Hepburn displays from past Fleurs de Villes FEMMES city exhibitions – Photo Credit: Fleurs de Villes)  

The partnership is part of St James Quarter’s ongoing commitment to provide a cultural and lifestyle hub for art, culture and fashion and offer opportunities for the local community to get involved with unique experiences. This activity follows on from a number of successful events over the last year including Edinburgh Style, Love Beauty and a seafood festival. 

Visitors to St James Quarter will be able to view the floral exhibition in the main Galleria area while shopping with luxury retailers such as H beauty and Reiss or before a refreshment stop at cocktail bar and restaurant The Alchemist or food hall Bonnie & Wild. Guests will also be able to see other retailers unleash their inner botanist as stores get involved with the event with their own floral displays.

“We felt that this was the ideal time to launch Fleurs de Villes FEMMES as people are starved for in-real-life, tactile and inspirational experiences that they can enjoy safely with friends and family” says co-founder Tina Barkley.

“The exhibit will offer the opportunity to learn about these important women who have left their mark on history and what better backdrop than a unique venue like St James Quarter,”  

Co-founder Karen Marshall added: “We are very excited to bring our event to Edinburgh for the very first time and to launch the new exhibition FEMMES at the iconic St James Quarter.

“Each of our shows is an entirely different experience, celebrating the local community and made possible by local partners like St James Quarter which support Fleurs de Villes events being freely and most beautifully open to the public. With such a diverse group of local florists and creative talents, we can’t wait to spread joy and tell the stories of these women, en fleurs, to honour each as truly remarkable.”

(L-R: Malala Yousafzai, Carline Astor,  Grace Kelly displays from past Fleurs de Villes FEMMES city exhibitions – Photo Credit: Fleurs de Villes)

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, says: “We are delighted that Fleurs de Villes FEMMES is coming to Scotland for the first time and there’s no better place to showcase the series than St James Quarter, the hub of the capital city. We could not be more pleased to have Fleurs de Villes FEMMES grace our Galleria and celebrate inspirational women from across the globe in such a spectacular fashion.”

Other highlights of FEMMES include a pop-up flower market, floral installations including a selfie-invoking swing adorned in fresh blooms, and a “JARDIN” area that will host floral workshops and talks.

Fleurs de Villes has always championed women from all walks of life, and has built an all-female team to execute its vision of a global luxury brand around flowers. They are thrilled to raise a bouquet to this newest Edinburgh show, FEMMES.

The global FEMMES tour visits four countries this year in these world-class destinations:

Miami, Bal Harbour Shops March 4-13, 2022

Chicago, 900 North Michigan Shops, March 30-April 3, 2022

Costa Mesa, South Coast Plaza, April 20-24, 2022

Toronto, Bloor-Yorkville, May 4-8, 2022

Montreal, Complex des Jardins and Quartier des Spectacles, May 20-29, 2022

Vancouver, Downtown, June 3-12, 2022

Edinburgh, St. James Quarter, June 24-July 3, 2022

Sydney, The Royal Botanic Garden, August 19-28, 2022

Québec City, Place Ste-Foy, September 21-25, 2022

New York City, Hudson Yards, October 7-16, 2022

Scottsdale, The Palmeraie, January 19-23, 2023

Musselburgh Racecourse rolls out royal connections for Platinum Jubilee Weekend

PORT SETON’S PADDY FLIES THE ROYAL STANDARD IN CORGI DERBY!

Musselburgh Racecourse is preparing for its Platinum Jubilee Weekend on 4th and 5th of June with the announcement of two special guests who have interesting royal connections. 

The East Lothian track is hosting a prestigious weekend of Scottish summer racing that includes a jam-packed schedule of racing across both days and family fun and a street party extravaganza on the Sunday. 

A distant relative of one of Her Majesty The Queen’s own corgis named Paddy from Port Seaton (below), will take part in a special corgi race ‘The Corgi Derby’ on the Sunday and there will also be an exclusive performance by Louise Marshall, Scotland’s national piper who was the lone piper to Her Majesty The Queen at the naming ceremony of the Queen Elizabeth Ocean Liner in 2010. 

Musselburgh Racecourse already has a proud Royal heritage. The Queen’s Stand was opened by Princess Anne and visited by Her Majesty The Queen in 2016, and general manager Bill Farnsworth is delighted to be able to honour the Monarch’s 70-year reign across this special weekend. 

Bill said: “The Platinum Jubilee Weekend will be a fabulous weekend of celebrations for everyone as well as thrilling racing, it’s going to be a fun social occasion, on the Sunday we have the Corgi Derby as well as live family entertainment. 

“We are delighted to welcome racing enthusiasts, families, groups of friends to couples and anyone else looking for a fun weekend families, groups of friends to couples and anyone else looking for a fun weekend to celebrate this momentous occasion.” 

The £50,000 Inch’s Cider Scottish Sprint Cup takes place on Saturday 4th June. Inch’s Cider is a new product within the Musselburgh Racecourse portfolio and will be available to buy across the weekend as well as a selection of other local beers and ciders. Spectators will also be able to indulge in delicious street food and enjoy live music from The Funkwagen DJ. 

The Skybet Sunday Series Raceday, featuring the Queen of Scots Fillies Stakes and the Jubilee Family Fair, follows on 5th June. 

As well as the Corgi Derby and performance from piper Louise Marshall, there will be a real family feel and party atmosphere on the day, with the event suited to all ages and visitors encouraged to bring along a picnic and join in the street-party extravaganza for a day packed full of family activities.

There will be Anna and Elsa from Disney’s Frozen, a best dressed prince and princess competition with some prizes up for grabs, as well as vintage fairground rides and face painting.  

General Manager of Musselburgh Racecourse, Bill Farnsworth continues: “Saturday will see the return of The Scottish Sprint Cup, Scotland’s fastest race, and on Sunday we are thrilled to once again be part of the SkyBet Sunday Series, with a seven-race card, which will be one of our richest racedays, with price money of over £190,000.” 

Tickets to celebrate this unprecedented royal anniversary and extended bank holiday weekend are on sale now. Book your tickets before midnight on the 3rd of June and SAVE £5 per person! Children 17 years and under are admitted FREE at Musselburgh Racecourse when accompanied by a paying adult. 

For full range of ticket information please visit https://www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk/tickets/afternoon-meeting-04-06-2022 

CCTV image released in connection with Hive nightclub assault

Police Scotland has released an image of a man officers believe may be able to assist in relation to enquiries into a serious assault in Edinburgh.

The incident happened at The Hive nightclub in Niddry Street around 1.35am on Friday, 10 September, 2021.

The man (pictured above) is described as white, aged in his early 30s, of medium build and with short hair. He has a distinctive tattoo sleeve on his right arm and another tattoo on one of his calves. He was wearing a baseball cap, a light-coloured t-shirt or polo shirt and shorts.

Detective Constable Craig Moran, of Edinburgh CID, said: “I would urge the man, or anyone who has information relating to him to make contact with the police.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0205 of Friday, 10 September, 2021, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be passed anonymously.”

Truss speaks out on China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss issues a statement following new evidence emerging of China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “Today, further shocking details of China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang have emerged, which add to the already extensive body of evidence from Chinese government documents, first-hand testimony, satellite imagery and visits by our own diplomats to the region.

“New evidence shows the extraordinary scale of China’s targeting of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities, including forced labour, severe restrictions on freedom of religion, the separation of parents from their children, forced birth control, and mass incarceration.

“The UK stands with our international partners in calling out China’s appalling persecution of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities. We remain committed to holding China to account.

“We reiterate our longstanding expectation that China grants the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights full and unfettered access to the region so that she can conduct a thorough assessment of the facts on the ground, and we are following her visit this week closely.

If such access is not forthcoming, the visit will only serve to highlight China’s attempts to hide the truth of its actions in Xinjiang.”

Exposed 22 – College Photography students annual exhibition returns to Out of the Blue Drill Hall

Edinburgh College Photography students and graduates will be showcasing their talents in an exhibition which sees their work displayed to the public in the nation’s capital next month.

Exposed 2022 is taking place at Edinburgh’s Out of The Blue Drill Hall from Monday 1 June to Thursday 9 June, excluding Sunday 5 June, from 10am to 5pm.

The exhibition includes works which have been created by HND2 and BA photography students. Images cover a wide range of genres including portraiture, fashion, advertising, sports, documentary, photojournalism and landscape. 

The College’s Photography department has been running the annual Exposed exhibition show since the mid-1990s, and this year 45 students from showing more than 80 images in an event the host venue describes as its ‘largest annual exhibition’.

Pete Harper, HND2 Photography graduate, from Haddington in East Lothian, said: “I’m really excited to be exhibiting my work for the first time at Out of The Blue in June. 

“The last couple of years of study has been tough, not least because of the pandemic, but it has also been immensely rewarding.  A lot of really hard work has gone into producing these images and I’m proud to have the opportunity to display them at Exposed 22.” 

Kay Frances Hyde, BA Professional Photography graduate, said: “It was a huge step for me to return to education in my fifties and I feel a huge sense of achievement having finished the degree at Edinburgh College.  

“Having worked in PR in the tourism sector for over twenty years, my photography has a strong sense of place.  I’m interested in celebrating and showcasing Scotland’s rich culture and heritage through my photography.”

Graham McGirk, Photography lecturer, said: “We’re looking forward to yet another Exposed exhibition – it is the perfect way to round off another year of hard work and innovation from our extremely talented students.

“I’m very proud of all of our students and of the outstanding work they have produced – it has been another exceptional year. We hope that lots of people can attend the exhibition to witness first-hand the wealth of stunning works on display.”

Exposed 22 is part of the College’s annual GLOW Festival – a two-month creative festival, showcasing the new generation of creative talent in Music, Theatre, Dance, Photography, Sculpture, Illustration and more. 

Find out more about GLOW Festival.

FND Stories

Capturing the stories and lived experience of those diagnosed with neurological condition, Functional Neurological Disorder, through art.

Inspace Gallery, 1 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AB 

Inspace City Screen, window display on Potterrow – Tuesday 7th – Sunday 26th June;  

Opening Event Wednesday 22nd June, 5-7pm; 

Internal Exhibition Thursday 23rd – Sunday 26th June.

 

This June, East Lothian based artist, Andrew Brooks will be exhibiting art focussing on telling the stories of those diagnosed with neurological condition Functional Neurological Disorder, FND, often referred to as the most common condition you’ve never heard of.

Brooks makes art that concentrates on small details of information to tell stories, using the particular to find the universal.

The multidisciplinary exhibition, FND Stories, is based on in-person interviews with six people from around the UK who live with FND along with contributions from over 90 of those diagnosed from around the world.

The interviews gave first-hand accounts of living with FND and include a beauty queen finalist from Croydon who only began competing since her diagnosis in July 2020. The artwork was created using techniques of data analysis from the interviews and contributions in a range of media including silent video, text-based art, and large-scale ink and gold leaf pieces.

The exhibition seeks to raise awareness of the condition and highlights the lived experiences of those diagnosed. It will be on show through the 20m long windows of InSpace Gallery for the full period to engage as many people as possible, as well as a shorter internal show with an opening event.

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a common and disabling cause of neurological symptoms. The symptoms are not caused by a structural disease of the nervous system but it is a problem with the “functioning” of the nervous system.

It is a problem with how the brain and body send and receive signals. The symptoms can cause impairment in quality of life that is similar to and in some aspects worse than other neurological conditions.

Symptoms are highly varied and can include weakness and abnormal patterns of movement, attacks of abnormal movement / change in awareness that resemble epileptic seizures, sensory problems, cognitive problems, and visual and speech problems.

Andrew Brooks began making work involving the condition while studying a Fine Art MA in Bristol: “FND is a constant part of my life as my wife was diagnosed with it in 2015 following a bicycle crash involving a car.

“I began to make and exhibit work about our experiences living with FND reflecting on our married life, subsequently broadening the project making further work with members of Southwest England based charity ‘FND Friends’. Having moved to Scotland I secured funding from Creative Informatics.

“The ‘Connected Innovators’ funding stream has given me the time and resources to continue making work with those diagnosed with FND developing new skills to represent people’s stories and raise awareness about the condition”.

With support from FND Hope UK (whom he is independent from) Brooks has been able to broaden the project and had responses from around the globe, including America, Canada and Gibraltar, with over 90 participants answering the question what three words would you use to describe your FND – the top three responses being frustrating, debilitating and misunderstood. Six in-person interviews with participants from around the UK were filmed and transcribed, these stories are the basis for much of the artwork.

Those interviewed are from a range of ages, backgrounds, types and severity of condition and were asked the same set of questions about life with FND. In response to “what is a good day with FND?” one interviewee answered, “a good day is having a shower and not having to sleep after it (laughing)…good days are when I can do the things I used to take for granted”.

Coverage Briefing

The artwork is multidisciplinary and varied including video, sound, word and physical paper-based art, to tell different facets of stories, often focussing on specific details. Large paper-based pieces, some of which are over 2m long, use ink, water, gold leaf, graphite dust and latex, encoding words, meanings and information.

As Brooks explains “the encoded presentation is to create a slower understanding of what is being discussed or described be it data or words, hopefully enabling a more nuanced interaction with the subject matter.

“The interview films are shown as a pair without sound, one film showing the subject’s reaction while listening to their favourite childhood story and the other show’s them explaining about their life with FND.

“Removing the sound avoids the primary forms of storytelling and shifts focus from what is being said to the emotional communication of the person. Relying on body language and the contrast of the two films allows the viewer to emotionally engage with the teller.”

Brooks added: “My aim is to make work that can portray some of the lived experiences and stories of those diagnosed with FND. I don’t want to portray a list of symptoms but reveal different facets of people’s stories.”

FND Stories will be partially on display on Inspace City Screen (Inspace windows facing on to Potterrow), Monday 6th – Sunday 26th June, with full exhibition inside Inspace Thursday 23rd June – Sunday 26th June, 11am – 5pm.

There will be an opening event on Wednesday 22nd June 5-7pm.

Tickets to the opening event can be booked through Eventbrite here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fnd-stories-exhibition-launch-tickets-343015437407