When Linda Sharpe lost her mother to lung cancer, she would have had every reason to step away from the field of cancer care.
But instead, Linda, who was already a volunteer at Chai, the UK Jewish community’s leading support charity for cancer patients, offered to set up art workshops.
More than two decades on, they continue to provide an invaluable space for relaxation, respite and creativity, say participants.
To mark World Art Day, on April 15, the JC has been given an insight into Linda’s workshops, which take place in a dedicated studio at Chai Cancer Care’s flagship centre in northwest London.
Its walls are replete with artwork, and the shelves are stacked with sketchbooks, canvases, palettes and jars of paintbrushes.
Chai's art studio (photo: Chai Cancer Care)[Missing Credit]
The sessions act as a break from hospital appointments and treatment and have long been lauded by Chai’s clients as immeasurably beneficial.
Linda says: “The art workshops give people affected by cancer the opportunity to step away from everything that comes with a diagnosis and focus on creating something of their own.
“For many clients, those two hours each week become a space where they can think about something other than illness. People often arrive feeling unsure of themselves or worried that they are not artistic, but very quickly, they become absorbed in what they are doing. Clients often tell me that the time in the art room takes them out of everything else that is going on in their lives.”
Linda explains that she works with individuals on a case-by-case basis to ensure that they are getting maximum value from their sessions.
Linda Sharpe (Photo: Chai Cancer Care)[Missing Credit]
“Some people want guidance; others prefer space to explore their own ideas. We might look through books of images, find inspiration online, or talk about colours and subjects that appeal to them,” she says.
“It is always tailored to the individual. Some people want to paint freely and follow their emotions, while others prefer to work from a landscape or still life image and build their confidence step by step.”
One regular attendee is Etty Debourcieu, who was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2006 and was recently rediagnosed.
Acting upon the suggestion of a close friend, she attended Linda’s workshop and immediately felt transported to “a world of my own”, she recalls.
“At the workshop, I feel creative, productive, and fulfilled”, she says. That creativity has also been rewarded with one of Etty’s artworks – a painting of a shofar – featuring as the design on Chai’s Rosh Hashanah card last year, which was distributed to more than 20,000 people.
Etty Debourcieu's design on Chai Cancer Care's Rosh Hashanah card[Missing Credit]
Another person who has greatly benefited from the programme is Gabriella Alexander-Passe, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.
“I was a shadow of myself; I was crying all the time,” she says of the outset of her cancer journey. “Many times, they would call a counsellor for me as I was not coping with the reality of the surgery, which was honestly pretty brutal.”
However, the art sessions gave her a sense of renewal and a new outlook on her diagnosis. “[Linda] was incredible. [She] would ask us to present our finished work to the group. We all felt validated.”
Though she had never painted beforehand, Gabriella has since gone on to sell pieces and gift them to family and friends. Her work has also featured in the Chai calendar.
“I found myself. I became a prolific painter, churning out paintings each month. First, they were angry paintings, but then I found a softer side as I began to accept my condition. I shall always be grateful to Linda, and to all the friends that I made there.”
A work by Gabriella Alexander-Passe, who specialises in painting safari animals (photo: Chai Cancer Care)[Missing Credit]
Chai’s head of client services, Charlotte Hildebrand, says: “The creativity we see in the art room is extraordinary. Clients who may never have picked up a paintbrush before discover a way to express emotions that can be difficult to put into words.
“At what can be a dark and uncertain time, the art workshop offers a sense of light, purpose and fulfilment, and many clients continue to carry with them a skill and passion they have discovered at Chai for life.”
The charity currently supports more than 4,300 people across 11 sites in the UK. It recently launched its Pesach appeal, focusing on the young people whom it supports.
Zoë Sayliss is one of those people, having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2024, when she was just 27 years old.
Zoë Sayliss with other young people who are supported by Chai (photo: Chai Cancer Care)[Missing Credit]
Recalling when she first sought help from Chai, she says: “I was hesitant to enter an environment that I expected would be full of illness and sadness.
“But the reality was the opposite. Walking through the doors of Chai helped me regain a sense of control over what was happening to me. I didn’t choose to have cancer, but I could choose to seek the support I needed. And I chose Chai.”
Go to chaicancercare.org or phone 0808 808 4567 to find out more about Chai’s services
To get more from community, click here to sign up for our free community newsletter.