Looking out to see within: A photography project developed by adolescents with cancer during the COVID pandemic.

Abstract

This photo essay is the story of an artistic project developed for young people with cancer in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The program, the Youth Project at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori in Milan,1 is dedicated to young patients with cancer 15–25 years old and has the dual aim of optimizing medical care such as ensuring their inclusion in clinical trials, and promoting a holistic approach to their needs, giving these young patients novel ways to express themselves through music, photography, creative writing, and fashion design.2-7 The photography project was conducted entirely through video sessions to comply with the need for physical distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the patients themselves who asked the Youth Project staff to launch this particular project. A professional photographer (Alice Patriccioli) conducted weekly 90-min meetings. After illustrating examples of work done by contemporary artists, she invited the young participants to embark on their own personal pathway, combining the languages of photography, art, and writing as they thought fit. Since the start of the project coincided with the experience of lockdown—of being unable to leave your own room, as was often the case for our patients on treatment, even without the pandemic—the photographer proposed focusing on the window through which we look out on the world (Figure 1). As Camilla wrote: “During a stay in hospital, when you can't enjoy the wind and sun, the best friends for daydreaming are the clouds in the sky. I look outside my window while I'm stuck in bed, and I fly with the clouds.” From the topic of the window, the photographic journey moved on to seeing windows as openings onto the outside world of people and places (Figures 2 and 3), and windows as openings that let in light, revealing what someone has inside (Figures 4–6-4–6). The different topics of the photographic project were selected by staff together with the young patients. During each meeting, a specific topic was proposed and discussed. Then patients were given their “homework”: to conceptualize and take photos on their own. For each topic, participants were asked to take a single picture. At the subsequent meeting, each photo was discussed with the group. The photography project involved 25 patients (median age 18 years, range 14–26 years), 14 of them receiving treatment at the time and 11 in follow-up. All patients (or their parents/legal guardians) gave written informed consent for their involvement in the project and for publication of the images and words. The photographs they produced were used to make a calendar for 2021, and the proceeds of its sales will go toward supporting the activities of the Youth Project. The pictures chosen for the calendar were selected by the patients themselves. For young participants, the project was an opportunity to get together and enjoy some light-hearted moments during the rigors of their therapy, even if it was virtual. The virtual meetings provided an opportunity to overcome the restrictions of physical distancing. In addition, as with the other artistic projects, the young patients enjoyed the opportunity of working with professionals, making them feel unique and special, so important for their self-esteem at this critical and challenging time in their lives. Working on a project expected to take several months also enabled these young people to regain a sense of future at a time when they risk having difficulty perceiving a future beyond their discharge from hospital or next round of treatments. In conclusion, we believe that this experience emphasizes the importance of giving young patients with cancer a chance to freely “voice” their emotions, and helping them process what is happening to them. Using art as a filter can make it a little easier to give vent to strong emotions, while also enabling them to be more genuine and less restrained in expressing their feelings. This ultimately helps our young patients find the resources and the venues they need to cope with the life-changing experience of being diagnosed and treated for cancer in as positive a manner as possible. The authors thank the Associazione Bianca Garavaglia for supporting the Youth Project.