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Tree of Life: How exploring diversity can create unity

05 Feb 2025

The new creative arts exhibition at Manchester Museum will be available for the public to visit from 6 February to 1 May 2025.

A new public engagement installation which showcases how creative arts can be used to communicate research, is set to launch within the Manchester Museum’s South Asia Gallery to coincide with World Cancer Day 2025.

The installation has been co-created by academics within The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH) as part of the University of Manchester’s commitment to improving cancer outcomes globally. The multidisciplinary research team behind the project came together with funding from Greater Manchester Cancer, to explore the lower rates of breast cancer screening uptake among women from Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian heritage.

In partnership with the Fatima Women’s Association, the project used the Tree of Life methodology—a narrative therapy approach—to create safe spaces for dialogue where women from south Asian communities across Oldham shared stories of their roots, life journeys, and health experiences, uncovering the shared connections that bind diverse communities and some of the barriers they have experienced within these communities in relation to accessing breast cancer screening.

Dr. Suzanne Johnson, Director for Social Responsibility for the School of Medical Sciences, who lead the public engagement project explained: “Building relationships and trust are the essential starting points for any participatory research project. We found that by using a creative arts approach, we were able to co-create a platform where the women could safely express themselves, free from judgment. What emerged were incredibly moving stories of resilience and community, which form the foundation of this installation. It is a very special project.

“Binish’s role in co-ordinating and delivering the engagement in this project was pivotal to its success. Her skills at creating and managing safe space for open conversation has enabled us to learn and understand far more about the influences and attitudes to breast health, which will help to shape the next phase of our research project.”

Dr Binish Khatoon, added, “This museum installation is a celebration of the incredible women who participated in this project. It’s their journeys, and their strength and through this work, we hope to spark important conversations about health, equity, and unity. The South Asia Gallery is the perfect setting to share these stories.”

The immersive video installation was co-created in a collaborative project with the talented team at Eastern Blok and Mister Munro, who have worked closely with the communities and the research team to create an engaging and thought-provoking experience for visitors to the South Asia Gallery.

This initiative was made possible through the support of Nusrat Ahmed, curator of the South Asia Gallery, the generous sponsorship from Gilead Sciences and the support from Prevent Breast Cancer.