Breast Cancer Treatment

> Timeline

May 2023- completed Dec 2023
Promotion and ongoing

> Collaborators

• Tara Baoth Mooney – Illustrations, poetry, singing, soundscapes and music composition, workshop development and community outreach, grant writing, personal story contribution, garment design direction, chair project management.
  
• Camille Baker – Concept and ideation, research grant writing, community outreach, workshop development, narrative framework, content development and story editing, staging and promotion, as well as overall project production.
  
• Maf’j Alvarez – 3D Artistry, virtual reality artistry, visual design, interaction design and chair design
  
  Other team members:
  
• Paul Hayes – Haptic design, bespoke peripheral development and electronics
• Sophie Skach – Garment design, wearable prototyping, pattern design, embroidery and overall wearable construction
• Leo Scarff – Chair design and construction
• Lee Paul Heron & Centre Neptune – web design and maintence
• Marc Coleman and Dann Emmons – Photo and video documentation and trailer editing

> Abstract

Mammary Mountain is an intimate immersive virtual reality(VR) experience that explores dis-ease within the body during breast cancer and the body’s relationship to the broader context of the land. This new immersive experience tells the stories of patients’ and survivors’ healthcare struggles, and the hidden experiences of breast cancer treatment.


It tells the lesser told stories not only of survival, but of trauma from the life changing experience of (Breast) Cancer through a haptic garment, so audience members/ visitors can feel vibration in the area of the lymph nodes where breast cancer grows.

This work is not only for breast cancer patients and survivors, but more so for family, friends and those with no experience of cancer in their own lives to have more empathy and care for those who do around them. All cancer survivors may related to it.

The piece is explored through animated illustrations, poetry, personal stories of 8 participants, and field recordings of Tara Baoth Mooney, created while going through cancer treatment herself. These recorded sounds and drawings have been further brought to life through the strong visual 3D landscape and evocative animation created by Maf’j Alvarez using VR.

Camille Baker conceived the concept, created the narrative framework and did content development, story collection and editing, grant writing, community outreach and workshop development, staging, promotion, and executive production.

The artists hope this work ignites new public engagement, ultimately resulting in a more nuanced and holistic understanding and empathy of the breast cancer treatment experience.

> Partners

• NEoN Digital Arts, Dundee
• Access Space, Sheffield
• Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Ireland
• Creative Heartlands, Ireland
  
  More on partners here
  https://mammary-vr.art/about/partners-credits/

> Budget / Funding

• £40,000 / Arts Council Engalnd National Lottery Project Funding, February 2023 (Production and 1st exhibitions
  
• €3,769 / Creative Ireland, May 30, 2023 (Workshop funding Ireland only)
  
• €4,111.64 / Creative Leitrum (Ireland), July 10, 2023 (Workshop funding Ireland only)
  
• £7,666 July 2024, Arts Council Engalnd National Lottery Project Funding for travel to Venice Biennale Immersive Exhibition August 2024
  
• £2,500 British Council funding to top up funding for travel to Venice Biennale Immersive Exhibtion August 2024
  

> Outcomes / Impact

Outcomes and Impact remain to be seen but the first exhibition in (documented above):

This project has been shown in 23 festivals, exhibition spaces and XR events since it was completed in November 2023 and premiered in 10 countries worldwide, one Best of Festival Award (FilmGate 2024) and its still touring in winter 2026.

See details on the website https://mammary-vr.art/