Students at the London College of Communication (LCC) have teamed up with the NHS to create a series of films aimed at improving breast cancer awareness.
The four animations made by the Elephant & Castle based uni aim to encourage women across Southwark to check their breasts and regularly attend their screening appointments.
They highlight the importance of breast awareness and screening as the best way of saving lives through aiding early detection and treatment.
The films, which draw on the testimony of black women who have recovered from breast cancer, are aimed at women from ethnic minority backgrounds, who are particularly vulnerable to the disease.
“We hope these fantastic films will help to amplify and communicate this sensitive message in a universal language for an ethnically diverse borough like Southwark,” said Dr Nicola Weaver at Macmillan Cancer Support.
A 2021 review in south east London found that areas with a higher amount of people from non-white British backgrounds are less likely to use breast screening services on offer.
Nation-wide studies have also shown that, since uptake amongst black, Asian and ethnic minority communities is lower, these groups have poorer survival rates as the cancer is detected in its advanced – and more deadly – stages.
The students, who were from the Moving Image and Digital Arts programme at the LCC, supported the project as part of their academic studies.
Their work will be shared widely across Southwark and south east London in an effort to maximise reach and impact, as well as support International Woman’s Day on 8 March.
The titles of the four short films are “Speak Up”, “Say No To Cancer”, “Together” and “It’s In Your Hands”.
Gill Henderson of the LCC said the university had partnered up with local healthcare organisations to “find innovative ways” of encouraging ethnic minority women in Southwark “to be more aware of the condition, demystify and destigmatise breast cancer [and] be confident to talk about it”.
“[LCC] has long been a part of the Southwark community, contributing to the borough through our creative education programmes and has strong links with schools and organisations in the area,” she added.
Dr Weaver pointed out that everyone should be aware of breast cancer and be on the look-out for the disease.
“It is important to remember that breast screening is for healthy people with no symptoms,” she says. “Screening can help to find breast cancers early when they are too small to see or feel.
“The screening programme currently starts at age 50, but if women of any age find a change in their breasts, we would encourage them to contact their GP for advice,” she continued.
In the UK, one in seven women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.
There is a good chance of recovery if it is detected at an early stage, according to the NHS.
The animations can be viewed here: