Last night, North Wales MS and Chair of the Senedd Cross Party Group’s on both Hospice and Palliative Care, and on Funerals and Bereavement, sponsored and spoke at the launch of ‘What Matters Most’, a visual storytelling exhibition of experiences of palliative and end of life care in Wales, by Mold-based Community Interest Company, ‘Same but Different’.
The exhibition, which is being run in partnership with Hospice UK and Marie Curie, will be at the Senedd until 15th February.
‘Same but Different’ work to raise awareness of disability and rare diseases, using the arts to give people affected by rare disease a greater voice in their community.
The exhibition is inspired by the experiences of end-of-life care of ‘Same but Different’ Photographer and Director Ceridwen, or Ceri, Hughes, and her sister, when their mother died in 2020.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Isherwood said:
“I first visited the brilliant Same But Different Community Interest Company at their office in Mold many years ago, to learn more about their work raising awareness of Disability and Rare Diseases, using striking photography to highlight people affected by rare diseases and to help reduce isolation and counteract prejudice.
“Same But Different uses the arts for positive social change. Their powerful visual storytelling is always based on the lived experience of the communities they work with, which shapes and influences every decision made in the overall narrative of their exhibitions.
“By intently listening to these collective experiences, they collaborate and design support services that help meet each community’s need, and regularly partner with a range of organisations to create evocative and thought-provoking campaigns to raise awareness, bring change and ensure communities can get the support they need by problem-solving together.
“Ceri was driven by her family’s experience to explore “What Matters Most?” when people have a terminal illness, the difficulties people face to get support, and what a difference good end of life care can make.
“Through raw and honest interviews – including with her own sister, as well as people who have been given a terminal diagnosis, their loved ones and care givers – Ceri has created a thought-provoking film and atmospheric exhibition with the intention of encouraging discussion around dying, a subject that is often avoided until it is too late.
“In collaboration with Hospice UK and, Marie Curie and with support from the National Lottery Community Fund, Ceri and the team at Same but Different were able to talk to others with a terminal diagnosis and their relatives to understand what a difference it can make if the right support is available.
“The Cross Party Group on Hospice and Palliative Care published the findings of its Inquiry into the “Experiences of palliative and end of life care in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic” last January.
“Ceri was a contributor to that Inquiry and was quoted in the report saying: “We were given a few leaflets and booklets but there was no one source of information on what to do or what to expect…We had to resort to calling paramedics after failing to get a response from District Nurses, Palliative Care, or Out of Hours. In fact, the Out of Hours number was saying the answer phone message facility was full and when it did finally ring it had been ringing for 40 minutes and was still ringing when the Paramedics arrived.”
“Ceri’s wonderful work on this exhibition was therefore informed not only by the lived experience of others, but also of herself.”