Getting to the heart (and boobs) of Cardiac Care for women – Shocking facts
Charlie Kirkham is an international artist attracting big attention through her hard work as a business owner and artist. Here Charlie shares her passion for a project that should be close to everyone’s hearts – well unless you don’t know any females?
We often discuss ways to get your brand out there and remembered and with the increasing awareness of consumers on the reason why you buy from whom you buy, being a company that partners with charities and projects that do good is a win win situation that we help many businesses take full advantage of including how to feature in the press for free.
If you are in a position to support this great initiative and these organisations then please do tag us in posts on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram so we can thank you and follow you. You could save someone’s life too.
As INsiders we know how great it is to have a cheerleader in our corner (Mandie!). The past six months has been a blur of activity as alongside US based HeartCharged I’ve been prepping for the Sudden Cardiac Art Exhibition an awareness event launching this September at Kingshill House, Dursley.
From connecting me to other INsiders working with art and in medicine to helping refine ideas for promo INsiders has been so helpful.
Creating the nineteen works of my own for the show has kept me pretty busy in the studio (and quiet on socials!) as has co-ordinating the creation of artworks, delivery and instal of 80 artworks and 37 different artists. We have artists participating from across the world sharing their vision of a future in which we attain a 70% survival rate for out of hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrest (it sits at around 10% right now).
Their vision of a future in which we attain a 70% survival rate for out of hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrest (it sits at around 10% right now).
Shocking but true.
The aim of the show is to encourage people to #FlashTheBoobs why?
Because bystanders are too embarrassed to take women’s bra’s off and put the defibrillators on. This is leading to poorer outcomes for women, at the same time as anyone in the UK can head to a free public gallery and see boobs everywhere. By highlighting that women’s bodies to be honoured through life saving actions, not reduced to objects for gazing at, we can beat the odds and save more lives.
Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 10am – 3pm or when the venue is hosting a public event or by appointment, free entry.
Launch event Saturday 7 September 2024, 13:00-17:00, free entry.
Artwork images attached by Charlie Kirkham “This Ain’t the End (portrait of Hannah Keime)”, “Rebirth of Venus”
Learn more about Heart Charged here and here
Learn more about the Sudden Cardiac Art Exhibition here.
We’ve included the complete press release. If you are able to feature this project, the charities and organisations please advise so that we can promote you too. Even if it makes it into your works monthly newsletter, thank you.
PRESS RELEASE: SUDDEN CARDIAC ART EXHIBITION
Sudden Cardiac Art Announces Inaugural Art Exhibition in Gloucestershire!
Open weekdays 2 – 30 September at Kingshill House, Dursley, GL11 4BZ
Launch Event Saturday 7 September 13:00-17:00, free entry.
Kingshill House is delighted to announce the launch of Sudden Cardiac Art, a groundbreaking art exhibition featuring artists from around the world. It celebrates the life-giving ability we all possess through questioning why there are still so many unnecessary deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.
Bringing together the forces of US based HeartCharged with UK based Artist-Curator Charlie Kirkham the Sudden Cardiac Art Exhibition runs throughout September 2024.
Alongside curating the exhibition, artist Charlie Kirkham is showcasing nineteen pieces of unique art, created especially for this exhibition. She is passionate about advocating for women’s health and delighted to be showing at Kingshill House, a stunning Georgian Mansion set in the English countryside town of Dursley.
Charlie Kirkham quote:
“Working with HeartCharged from the first Zoom call to the snowball of getting 37 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.”
HeartCharged say “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 organizers like to say, Flash The Boobs to Save A Life. “
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Charlie Kirkham
Charlie Kirkham is a UK based visual artist with a penchant for the fantastical. Her work has been shown internationally including at the esteemed Mall Galleries, London. She has received funding from The Eaton Trust, Coventry Mysteries Festival, Edge Arts Bath and the STEAMhouse, Birmingham.
Awards include the Visions of Science Award (2018), in collaboration with the University of Bath, nomination for the Visual Artist category at Passion for Freedom (2024). She completed a funded studio programme at The STEAMhouse, Birmingham in 2024.
Charlie is an elected full member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art. She is also a member of Holyhead Studios, Coventry, the Visual Artists Association and Castlefield Gallery Associates.
How it started:
We are delighted to announce the Sudden Cardiac Art Exhibition, a revolutionary art exhibition to end the vast gender disparity in cardiac arrest survival. 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 organizers like to say, Flash The Boobs to Save A Life.
The passion behind this project resides in the ardent, albeit flawed, hearts of fine artist Charlie Kirkham and resuscitation advocates Bethany and Hannah Keime of HeartCharged.
The inaugural exhibition is being held in the stately Kingshill House, Dursley, Gloucestershire, UK, throughout September 2024. It brings together the work of 40 international artists spotlighting defibrillation on the female form and the heart warrior journey.
A special Launch Event is being held 7 September 2024, 1pm – 5pm, at Kingshill House, and is open to the public. Artists will be on-site to discuss their pieces. Advocates will be on hand with defibrillator and CPR demonstrations. There will be a special training suitable for all ages and including music videos and dance. A highlight is a unique panel discussion including sudden cardiac arrest survivors, emergency and medical personnel, and advocacy organizations.
The story behind the exhibition starts with young women, Bethany and Hannah Keime, founders of HeartCharged, who live with the deadly heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Hannah is a sudden cardiac arrest survivor. They realized awareness before and quick actions during a sudden cardiac arrest from everyday citizens determines life or death. They went on a mission to train and inform people, children through adults, on using defibrillators and performing CPR.
Then they discovered to their horror that women had significantly lower survival rates because, even when they could, people were choosing not to help women, basically because of their breasts. It seemed unconscionable women were consciously left to die. Currently, women are 1.5 times less likely to receive defibrillation than men and 1.5 times more likely to die. They vowed to change that inequity, as well as work to raise the overall survival rates.
Artist and heart warrior, Charlie Kirkham, saw the HeartCharged campaign and knew she needed to join. She too wanted to raise survival rates, for women, children, and men, from the current 10% to the attainable 70%. How could she, as an artist, enact change? Charlie knew that in museums the female breast was on display as art. Why would we keep it covered when it became a matter of life or death? She knew that through art people could see the beauty of saving another human and through awareness, they could learn how.
The Venue:
Kingshill House – Kingshill House Creative Centre
Kingshill House Creative Centre is a vibrant community-based charity set in a Grade II* listed Georgian mansion in Dursley. Our mission is to curate an interesting, educational, fun and diverse programme for the community that is focused on creativity, health and wellbeing.
Kingshill House is a Grade II listed mansion set in the English village of Dursley, Gloucestershire. It’s an art and community venue hosting regular art exhibitions and events. There’s free entry to the public and solid footfall.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 10am – 3pm or when the venue is hosting a public event or by appointment, free entry.
Launch event Saturday 7 September 2024, 13:00-17:00, free entry.
For further information and images please contact:
Curator & Artist Charlie Kirkham:
Telephone: 07739360266
Email: charliekirks88@gmail.com
