A North Tyneside-based women-led theatre group is tackling “medical misogyny” and the barriers to cancer treatment through drama.
In collaboration with health bodies and experts, the Workie Ticket Threat Company, based in North Shields, has set out to spark conversations about women’s health, with a particular focus on women’s experiences with cancer. ‘The C Project: Conversation, Cake, and Cancer’ uses theatre to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and aims to break down the barriers preventing people from getting medical help or attending screenings.
Grant funding and workshops
The troupe, also a community interest company, was granted £2,500 from a collaborative Cancer Awareness Grant to fund workshops where people can talk about their cancer experiences and hear a reading from a short play about a cancer survivor.
Councillors and public health representatives were allowed to see a reading of the monologue at today’s health and wellbeing committee meeting at North Tyneside Council’s Cobalt HQ. The play was performed by Ashlea Sanderson, co-director of the theatre group and actor.
Themes and future plans
The play dealt with themes ranging from women struggling to access diagnoses, vaccine scepticism, cancer recovery, and the familial impacts cancer brings.
The author of the play, Jojo Kirtley, and co-artistic director and founder of The Workie Ticket CIC, said: “Obviously, considering we are a women’s organisation, we have really just talked about women's cancer, but I think it lends itself to every cancer and we are having that conversation. “We would love to do more of this more and talk about men’s cancer.”
Jojo continued: “There is a lot of medical misogyny that we have been looking into as well. But also, we talk a lot about how we know men don't talk about cancer, and there are campaigns out there. “But when it comes to women's cancer, women do talk, but they are still getting cancer. Women talk, but they are too busy looking after other people, and that’s what we are campaigning for. “It doesn’t matter how busy you are, it doesn't matter how many children you have—I have three—and raising awareness of things that might be barriers, but how you can overcome them.”
Workie Ticket has now also been awarded funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to support the roll out of ‘The C Project’ sessions across the North East.
