Art with a Heart: Inaugural Exhibition and Awareness Event
Open weekdays from 2nd to 30th September at Kingshill House, Dursley, Gloucestershire, England, UK. Launch Event on Saturday 7th September from 13:00 to 17:00, free entry.
2nd-30th September 2024, with the launch on 7th September: Currently, women are 1.5 times less likely to receive defibrillation than men and 1.5 times more likely to die. The survival rate for out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest stands at a mere 10%. We are on a mission to change that.
The Sudden Cardiac Art Exhibition is set to launch, marking a revolutionary step towards ending the stark gender disparity in cardiac arrest survival rates. Artists from around the world have come together, using their creative mediums to combat the preventable deaths of women caused by societal constraints that discourage crucial life-saving actions. The organisers of the exhibition are spreading the vital message: “Flash The Boobs to Save A Life.”
A special Launch Event is scheduled for 7th September 2024, from 1pm to 5pm, at Kingshill House, with free entry for the public. Visitors will have the chance to engage with the artists and learn about the inspiration behind their work. Additionally, advocates will provide defibrillator and CPR demonstrations. A special training session, accessible to all ages, will include music videos and dance. One of the event’s highlights is a unique panel discussion featuring sudden cardiac arrest survivors, emergency and healthcare professionals, and advocacy group representatives.
[QUOTES] “Artists from around the world have lifted their brushes, pens, and carving tools in solidarity to stop the needless deaths of women due to repressive societal standards that inhibit people who need to, as the exhibition organisers like to say, Flash The Boobs to Save A Life.” – HeartCharged
“Working with HeartCharged from the first Zoom call to the snowball effect of getting 36 international artists to donate bespoke exhibition pieces, the whole experience has been exhilarating. Seeing it all come to life in such a beautiful exhibition space makes me immensely proud.” – Charlie Kirkham
The inspiration behind this exhibition comes from Bethany and Hannah Keime, founders of HeartCharged, who both live with the life-threatening heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. They understood that awareness prior to and quick action during a sudden cardiac arrest could determine whether someone lives or dies. Their mission is to educate and train people, from children to adults, on how to use defibrillators and perform CPR effectively.
Women have lower survival rates largely because, even when help is possible, people often hesitate due to the presence of breasts. The idea that women were being left to die because of this hesitation was unacceptable. Currently, women are 1.5 times less likely to receive defibrillation than men and are 1.5 times more likely to die. Bethany and Hannah made it their goal to change this inequality and to work towards raising overall survival rates.
UK artist and heart patient Charlie Kirkham was inspired by the HeartCharged campaign and was determined to raise survival rates for women, children, and men, with the aim of increasing them from 10% to an achievable 70%. She believed that art could powerfully convey the importance of saving a life, and through increased awareness, people could learn how to do so. She collaborated with other artists globally, gathering 80 artworks from 36 artists. Each piece celebrates the life-saving potential we all hold once we learn to respect women’s bodies by saving their lives.