A Little Piece of Me is a collaborative arts project between artist Andrew Christie, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation Art Program and Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Palliative Care teams and John Hunter Children’s Hospital Palliative Care team. The project celebrates the many influences that shape the personalities and identities of children and young people.
A Little Piece of Me was first offered to families supported by the Paediatric Palliative Care Team at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick in 2019. It has now expanded to include patients and families supported by all services in the NSW PPC Programme – Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, John Hunter Children’s Hospital, Newcastle and Bear Cottage.
The project enables families to create a photographic pixel portrait - a technique that uses small images to create one single large portrait image chosen by the family. With the team’s guidance and assistance, families gather photos of people, places and things that have helped shape their child’s life. Once collected, the photos are arranged to create a portrait of their child.
To view the 2020 collection please click the below link:
https://www.schf.org.au/schf-in-action/programs-and-innovations/a-little-piece-of-me
The process provides families with an opportunity to reflect on their child’s journey, and what is important to them. The final artwork creatively captures the wonderful lives of the children and adolescents outside of their illness and offers the families a long lasting memory they can keep, but most importantly, tells their child’s unique story.
Each year, families are asked if they would like their child’s portrait to be displayed in an annual exhibition that is held at each of the hospitals and Bear Cottage. When displayed together, the portraits demonstrate the unique ways each child expresses themselves and celebrates the importance of understanding each child’s identity while also highlighting how patients and their loved ones create an atmosphere of resilience, adaptability and creativity.
The “A Little Piece of Me” project would not have been made possible without the generous support and contributions from the following organisations and businesses:
- Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation
- Fairfield RSL
- NSW Ministry of Health Palliative Care enhancement funding
- Photoking
To enable this popular and meaningful project to be offered to families in the future, we welcome donations and funding support.
If you would like more information about A Little Piece of Me Project please contact:
Timothy Talty: Art Program Manager
Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation
Email: timothy.talty@schf.org.au