Terminal cancer patient auctions off pieces of remaining time in emotional exhibition for ACRF via The Ministry for Communication & The Arts
A woman with a terminal cancer diagnosis has auctioned off pieces of her remaining time to the public, as part of an exhibition at Carriageworks, Sydney.
In collaboration with Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF), the exhibition, which received global coverage via The Guardian, marks the debut work for The Ministry for Communication & The Arts, the creative studio founded by former Droga5 New York creative directors and Hawke’s Brewing co-founders, Nathan Lennon and David Gibson.
Titled Time to Live, the exhibition saw members of the public pay for one-on-one interactions with Emily, a 31-year-old from Victoria, diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer with an average prognosis period of just six to nine months. Each interaction was set against the backdrop of a giant projected timer, counting down each participant’s 3-minute visit. A raw, intimate and fleeting encounter underscoring the emotional and psychological weight of living with, or being connected to someone with a terminal diagnosis.
Says David Gibson, co-founder and creative partner at The Ministry for Communication & The Arts: “Unless we experience it ourselves, we can never know the devastating reality that comes with facing a terminal cancer diagnosis. While we could never replicate its raw impact, we hope this initiative underscores an important message: by supporting ACRF, we can help fund the research that gives people the one thing they need most — more time.”
As one of the leading causes of death in Australia, cancer claims 135 lives and results in 444 new diagnoses daily. Time to Live underscores ACRF’s mission to support research across all types of cancers, ensuring the most promising research across Australia receives the necessary funding.
Says Carly Du Toit, GM fundraising and marketing at ACRF: “For 40 years, the ACRF has been funding only the most bold and innovative scientific research. That which has the ability to change the meaning of cancer diagnoses for future generations. But there’s still a long way to go. We hope this idea helps highlight the continued need to keep backing brilliant research that could give those impacted by cancer, like Emily and her loved ones, the most precious thing we all have – more time.”
Time to Live is supported by an online film that peels back the curtain of some of the private, intimate moments between Emily and her visitors, including her husband, Jason, who she met only three weeks before her diagnosis.
Says Nathan Lennon, co-founder and creative partner at The Ministry for Communication & The Arts: “This project embodies bravery on many levels. From Carly and ACRF’s willingness to take a chance on this concept, before relentlessly pursuing it the whole way through; to the visitors, production team and site crew, who committed to being part of an experience that provoked the rawest of emotions in all of us. But above all, it’s Emily’s bravery that made this possible. Time to Live is now part of her lasting legacy, and we are profoundly grateful that she allowed us to be part of her journey.”
Client: Australian Cancer Research Foundation
CEO: Kerry Strydom
General Manager, Fundraising & Marketing: Carly Du Toit
Marketing & Communications Manager: Isabelle Gagnet
Marketing Coordinator: Rachael Murphy
Designer: Sarah Holmes
Creative Agency: The Ministry for Communication & The Arts
Creative Partner: Nathan Lennon
Creative Partner: David Gibson
Managing Partner: Sophie Gibson
Production
Director: Tony Prescott
Producer: Dinusha Ratnaweera
Camera Operator: Miller Best
Camera Operator: Max McLachlan
Camera Assistant: Molly Sutherland
Data Wrangler: Aiden Emery
Sound Recordist: Richard Teague
Sound Assistant: Sally Hitchings
Event Audio/Visual: DPLR
BTS Coverage: Nat Ma
Post Production
Colourist: Myles Conti at Xenon-Post
Music Studio: Onyx Music
Composer: Darren Lim
Sound Design and Mix: Joe Mount
Stills Retoucher: Alex Reznick
PR Agency: Good PR
Senior PR & Events Manager: Nina Willoughby
5 Comments
Wasn’t this idea done a few years back? In New Zealand I think, for eBay or something.
This is brilliant. So powerful.
With all due respect, has someone close to you ever died from cancer? Have you ever experienced the helplessness that is associated with some of cancers that don’t lead to remission? Frankly, I don’t care if a similar idea to this exists or not. What I do care about is the bravery of someone like Emily to participate in this idea. It’s real. It’s meaningful.
Perhaps if you thought your comment through, you would have started by acknowledging the power that this experience had on those who participated as subject, family, friends, creators, and collaborators before you jumped in with the very tiresome and passive-aggressive nature of your comment – save that for campaigns selling soap or some other shit. Not for this. This is about humanity.
And, if you’ve read this blog in the last two weeks or so, you would have noticed an outpouring of humanity in the reports and comments about jack Vaughan, Moose and John Alfiverich. I’m sorry about the chastising tone, I just don’t know how else to put it.
Truly brave and inspiring work! It really captures the emotional depth of facing a terminal illness and the profound impact cancer has on those affected.
Yes I have lost people close to me from cancer. If you read my comment again, you’ll see there was no malice. Just a question about the originality of the idea. It sounded familiar and so I was asking. Turns out it was done by Special for Trade Me. And that’s fine, a good idea can be done again if it works, especially for a good cause. Don’t look for an issue where there isn’t one. Congrats on your campaign. I genuinely hope it works.