Deep Shelter Project coordinator and artist Pamela Baldacchino and Dr. Benna Chase presented the first outcomes of their work within the Deep Shelter project during the Joining Forces in Cancer Care conference at the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre. Their presentation creating chords of empathy in a frequency of trust, was part of a panel on ‘coping during cancer treatment’. The research presented spanned across a wide field of scientific investigation from innovative treatments to a more profound understanding of the experience of cancer care and treatment.

Oncology Conference Cancer

Pamela Baldacchino with Benna Chase at the Mediterranean Conference Centre during the Joining Forces in Cancer Care conference.

During the panel discussion it became clear that comfort and spirituality were present throughout the cancer treatment journey. There is clearly need for support on that matter not only for the patients but also for the staff supporting them. As could be learned from the presentation and from the Q & A afterwards, Art has an important role to play in this.

Bringing Art into the Centre did not go unnoticed and there is a lot of potential to develop the Artist-in-Residence project further in the next years.