Leeds women bare all in breast cancer magazine project which shares their stories

A storytelling and photography project with 24 women sharing their experiences with breast cancer will be shown at an exhibition in Leeds next month.

Still Me is a magazine which features portraits of women living with, through and beyond breast cancer, alongside their story told in their own words.

The magazine will be available to buy at Abreast, an exhibition celebrating the female form, at The Tinker Gallery in Otley throughout October.

The project has been co-ordinated by Laura Slater, founder of Lumiere Photographic, who said she feels “excited” to see each woman’s story shared.

“It was a huge thing for a lot of them to put themselves forward for it so I'm just excited for those women to be celebrated and for their stories to be heard because they're all different,” Laura told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“There’s such a range of experiences and I just kind of want people to read them and take forward a little bit more empathy into their everyday lives.”

The portraits in Still Me were shaped by each woman photographed.

Claire Hurst, a menopause clinician, chose to proudly show what her chest looks like following a breast reconstruction in her photograph.

“There is nothing lonelier than a breast cancer diagnosis sometimes so I love the idea that it’s showing actually what our bodies look like afterwards. Not social media life, not politically correct, just genuinely real,” the 50-year-old said.

“There'll be people who will get a lot from everybody sharing their stories, and everybody has their own journey so I'm proud to be part of that.”

Claire now has no evidence of breast cancer following her diagnosis three years ago.

She described getting used to the physical changes caused by cancer and treatment as an “emotional journey” but praised Laura for bringing out her confidence.

Claire said: “Laura made it a really pleasant experience and I was quite proud of myself afterwards. I felt really confident, which I didn’t expect to feel during the photoshoot.

“Whatever it is that enables one woman to make another woman feel comfortable, Laura has it in abundance.”

For photographer Laura, it was important for each woman’s photograph to sit side by side by their own words.

Some accounts recall fear, loss and the darkest moments of treatment, some talk about body image, relationships, humour, unexpected positives and how good life can be after cancer.

Laura said: “I was very clear with all the ladies that it doesn't need to be anything other than the exact experience.

“I said to them, your words are your words, and I want you to say if it's been a really horrible experience. I want you to tell the good bits, but I don't want you to shy away from the bad bits.”

Caroline Woolley, an executive coach and founder of Thrive: Business, and Balance, has found a “real passion” for writing since she was diagnosed with breast cancer 18 months ago.

Now 50, she found participating in Still Me a “therapeutic” way to address the different ways breast cancer can be “life-changing.”

Using her words alongside her portrait showing her single mastectomy, she wanted to shift the shame surrounding cancer’s physical impacts.

“We shouldn't feel that we have to hide the uncomfortable realities of what a breast cancer diagnosis and a mastectomy can bring.

“How can anybody feel beautiful if different forms of what women look like aren't celebrated? If we feel we have to hide it?”

Like Still Me, Caroline’s own business aims to empower women, as she aims to prove the power of resilience.

Caroline said: “The hardest things that happen to you in your life can be a catalyst for some of the best things that happen.”

Laura published a social media callout to find women who wanted to be involved with the Still Me magazine.

She described the response as “incredible” as a multitude of women came forward and trusted her to share their stories.

Amanda Child, 69, knew she wanted to be involved from the moment she saw the Facebook post.

The actress was diagnosed with cancer in her left breast, 11 years after she previously had cancer on the other side.

In her account, she’s used a mixture of dark humour and vulnerability to offer a “raw” insight into life with and after breast cancer.

She said: “I want people to understand how absolutely horrible it is but you can fight it, you can get over it. Look at me. It's come back but not secondary and I'm fighting again.

“I want other people to understand that fight - nobody knows until you're in it.”

“We need to shout about it so that people see the rawness of it. It’s debilitating and the side effects are dreadful - it’s not just the cancer and getting rid of it”

Amanda described her portrait, a glamour shot, as her “to a T”, and said she can’t wait to meet the other women involved in the project next month.

The Abreast exhibition will take place on October 1-31 at the Tinker Gallery in Ilkley.

The magazine title Still Me is inspired by the words of a participant before the idea for the project even began.

Laura said: “She came to me for a shoot because she'd been given quite a serious stage four breast cancer diagnosis and she'd said, "I have possibly the worst diagnosis that you can get. I'm not getting any better from this. It's not going anywhere, but I don't want people to write me off. I'm still here and I'm still me’

“Everyone's experience is saying cancer changes you, it changes your personality, your outlook on life, and it very much changes your body.

“But underneath you’re still a person and that’s the most important thing to remember when you’ve been treated as a patient, a statistic, or someone that’s fighting.”

Symptoms of breast cancer may include a lump or swelling in your breast, chest, or armpit, a change in breast skin texture or colour, a nipple rash, discharge, or change in size.

To learn how to check your chest, visit the CoppaFeel! website.