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Priya Odedra is a Medicine (Graduate Entry) student and interdisciplinary artist who uses art to tell stories and collaborate with others. Her portfolio is a testament to her commitment to inclusivity and her ability to merge art with science. 

Art and Science 

Always enthusiastic about art and science, Priya’s journey to combine these passions began at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, where she studied for a master’s in art and science. This unique educational background has allowed her to explore the intersection of these fields and create meaningful, impactful work. 

Cultural Competence and Sensitivity 

Priya's portfolio highlights her expertise in cultural competence. She recognizes that inclusivity goes beyond physical and policy changes; it is about understanding and respecting cultural differences. Priya collaborates closely with communities to ensure that her projects are culturally sensitive and relevant. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of her designs but also builds trust and collaboration with the communities she serves.  

 As a Global Arts in Medicine Fellow (2024 cohort), Priya co-designed a project called ‘Creating Care Beyond Borders’ with five other arts and health practitioners living and working around the world. They asked their local communities (colleagues, students, patients, friends, and family) one powerful question: ‘What is care to you?’. Participants were invited to respond using different creative methods and media. Outputs offered a rich tapestry of perspectives, including mood boards and collages, sculptures and immersive experiences collated in a short film.  

 

 

Priya set up a physical care wall on the Paediatrics ward at St Peter’s Hospital, which patients, their family members, and staff were invited to add to using a range of creative mediums. An online care collage is an ongoing strand of this project, which you are welcome to contribute to here

 

 

Care Wall on wards

Caption: Images of care wall on Paediatrics ward at St Peter’s Hospital 

 

CC 8

Caption: Images of Care Discs

Body Mapping and Storytelling

As part of her final project on the Open Spaces ‘Finding a Leg to Stand On’ module, which was taken as a Student Selected Component, Priya explored how interventions like body maps can offer a creative space for processing complex trauma. She created a body map of herself and her sister, reflecting on her family history of displacement. Body mapping involves creating life-sized portraits by drawing around body contours on a canvas, which are then painted. Priya’s body map integrates imagery and stories from her family’s time in Uganda in the 1970s and their experiences of being forced to leave their homes. The work features multicultural elements such as traditional sarees, symbols and landscapes with an ethereal feel and elements of magical realism. Body mapping, as a therapeutic tool, can help individuals express and process challenging lived experiences and emotions through their imagination and tactile senses. Speaking about her approach to creating art at an “Advocating for Arts and Humanities Teaching in Medical and Healthcare Courses” event, Priya commented that:

"Art is a way of sharing stories and can help us to develop a deeper understanding of ourselves, as healthcare providers and individuals, as well as our patients, in both healthcare and community settings."

Body map2

Caption: Body map of Priya and her sister, work created for her final project within the "Finding a Leg to Stand On" module.

Collaboration and Co-creation

Collaboration and co-creation are key aspects of Priya's creative approach. She has partnered with scientists, healthcare professionals, artists, educators, patients and young people on various projects. For example, she worked with a scientist at University College London on a project called ‘OpUS: Illuminating disease’ (2021), commissioned by Wellcome Trust. One strand of the project was a creative exchange of questions, ideas and concerns between scientists and clinicians working on new medical technologies and prospective patients, who will be most affected by them. The aim here was to build meaningful connections between these groups. The scientists were then tasked with filming a one-minute response to a question from the patients using creative mediums. Another strand of the project was a multi-sensory experience made in collaboration with a game designer, which allows the viewer to experience how such technologies work inside the body. This collaborative spirit enriches her work and broadens its impact.

Watch the bitesize video from a scientist who used Minecraft to respond to the question ‘what is image guided surgery?’ here.

Priya is also part of a group of students and staff who have been awarded a Student Staff Partnership Grant for their project ‘Creative Engagement for Equitable Homeless Healthcare’. In collaboration with ‘Evolve’, a local housing and support charity, this project combines creative approaches and healthcare education to gain insights into the lived experiences of homelessness and address gaps in the curriculum.

Creating Spaces

Through her innovative art projects, thoughtful leadership and cultural competence, Priya aims to create spaces where everyone feels welcome and valued through art that has meaning. Her work serves as a powerful inspiration for others to embrace art and use it to make a positive impact in biomedical science, medical science, healthcare education and beyond. To see more of Priya’s work, please visit Priya Odedra's portfolio.

If you are interested in exploring the role of art in your curriculum or receive invitations for events that bring together science, medicine, and healthcare with the arts, humanities, and enterprise, please email openspaces@sgul.ac.uk.

Words: Priya Odedra and David Ross

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