Sound is invasive, it drapes around and permeates your being. Try to block it with the fingers in your ears, and the sound still reaches you, reverberating through the bone structure of the body. Sound is pervasive, persistent and usually, it can get everywhere. Just like cancer.
I am not sure whether I had already this metaphor in my head when I decided to apply for the Cancer Council VIC/BreastScreen Vic small grant, supporting migrants accessing cancer screening. What I had in my head was an idea: using sound to explore feelings, anxiety and prejudices around cancer, and to do this through the involvement of a group of women, travelling with them along the stages of uncertainty (shall I do the screening?), worry (what if it comes positive?), misconceptions (I’m sure it’ll hurt) related to screening for cancer.
I was successful with my application. Cancer Council VIC liked my idea, especially for its potential to reach those professional, independent women who don’t see themselves as belonging to the category migrant in need of support. A category that I know very well as I belong to it.
I’m starting my project now and, just like for any other podcast I have produced so far, it’ll be a matter of finding the right balance between words and images, leaving just enough white spaces to allow each listener to complete the blanks and, by doing so, appropriate the narrative of sound.
Stay tuned.
(listen now or read part 2)