C M N
After documenting a woman with CMN for my then Freckles series in 2016, I was approached by a charity who were really wanting to take a massive step into the unknown. With literally a vision on how they wanted to present the condition and how they felt the previous work was right to help get their powerful message across to the general population.
Three years later ‘How Do You C Me Now?’ showed at the OXO Wharf Gallery putting their condition and charity on the map, with over £1m in press and an incredible increase in members from around the world and donations.
‘Between 2016-2019 Caring Matters Now worked in partnership with Brock Elbank to produce a portrait series of 30 children and adults affected by a rare and potentially life-threatening skin condition called Congenital Melanocytic Naevus.
The aim of the exhibition project was to increase confidence and self-esteem in those living with CMN and to raise the profile of CMN nationally and internationally. We exhibited the portrait series at the OXO Wharf Gallery in central London for a 12-day period, with a footfall of 8500+ visitors, as well as receiving national and international media coverage at a guesstimate in the region of £1M across TV, Radio, News and online press.
We measured the impact of the exhibition project and our findings were extremely positive for both the photographed participants and the general public. 91% of the general public felt more understanding of those living with a visible difference and 93% of the general public felt people with visible difference are beautiful. 98% of the general public expressed the exhibition was a very positive experience. 100% of photographed participants said the photoshoot was a positive experience and 100% of the photographed participants’ parents said the photograph shoot was a very positive experience for their child and for them as a parent.
We were also able to identify an empowering shift in the photographed participants confidence and self-esteem, with one third of photographed participants stating before the exhibition, they would always consider what to wear in relation to their CMN, whereas following the exhibition, their CMN would not be considered when choosing clothing to wear.
The exhibition project enabled Caring Matters Now in raise the international profile of CMN, and the charity is continuing to advocate towards changing negative perceptions of visible differences and encouraging those affected by CMN to embrace their CMN by loving the skin they are in.’
Jodi Whitehouse Founder of Caring Matters Now
“I remember at the beginning of all this saying that for BEARD we would have to shoot the entire series at my home which was in Warwickshire at the time. People said I was mad and that nobody would travel, let alone to Warwickshire. Five portrait series later and over five hundred subjects later, we can proudly say that six continents and over fifty countries and kindly made their way to our home to share their experiences.”
— Brock Elbank