'The b(r)e(a)st event of the year'

By Rhiannon Jones, from CoppaFeel! Bristol

What is CoppaFeel! Bristol and what are their upcoming events?

CoppaFeel! Bristol, the University of Bristol’s breast cancer awareness society, is hosting the b(r)e(a)st event of the year - the ExhiBOOBtion on the 12th of May in the SU Anson Rooms.

The event will showcase a variety of boob-themed art; from glorious nude tapestries and prints by artists Honor Grace and Yoli Ward-Streeter, to hand-embroidered titty t-shirts from Jazz Moodie and boob earrings from Nadya Salam (see our program below and Instagram page: @coppafeelbristol for more insight to our incredible lineup of artists).

A selection of over fifty commissioned pieces will also be available to win in a raffle, with the first fifty people to purchase a ticket receiving a gift from the ‘feel good food’ cafe, Friska. And as if this wasn’t enough, the first thirty people to arrive will receive a complimentary glass of prosecco and there will be delicious coffee and brownie tasters on offer from Friska!

There will also be opportunities to: draw your own boobs; decorate a tit tote bag; guess the weight of the (surprisingly heavy) boob cake; and listen to some live poetry performances. However…tickets are LIMITED, so get yours soon via the SU website for £2 (cheaper than a coffee)! We can’t wait to see you all there at our biggest event yet.

CoppaFeel! is also hosting the much anticipated (not to mention FREE) Tit talk on the 29th of April: an evening of body positivity and breast cancer awareness, with talks from Dr. Shelley Potter, Dr. Alanna Skuse, and Moya Lerigo-Sampson.

Dr. Shelley Potter is a senior lecturer in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery at the university, and also an NIHR Clinician Scientist, with a specialist focus on breast reconstruction. Her talk will be drawing on her clinical and research experiences.

Dr Alanna Skuse is a lecturer in the department of English whose research focuses on the body in literature. She has published a book 'Constructions of Cancer in Early Modern England' and her talk will be focusing on constructions of cancer and the body in her literary research.

Finally, Moya Lerigo-Sampson is a 'Boobette' with CoppaFeel!. Moya has previously had an experience with breast cancer and will be using her talk to discuss her own experience with the illness, and also talk about the work CoppaFeel! do to help the early detection of breast cancer.

Whilst the events will be fun-focused, the core purpose of CoppaFeel! will remain central: promoting awareness and educating young people, both men and women, about how to be proactive in recognising the early signs of breast cancer. The big C word is scary, but regularly checking your pecs or boobs shouldn’t be - sign up to our free monthly text reminders to check yourself by texting UBT BRS to 70500.

Featured image: Yoli Ward-Streeter / @yoliws_illustration