Poppy

"I feel honour and pride to not only be at Goldsmiths, but also to now be affiliated with such a unique and impactful charity set up in the memory of artist, illustrator wife and mother Corinne Burton. 

Becoming a qualified art psychotherapist has been my focus and dream since my early teenage years. Art has an inherent ability to transcend cultural, linguistic and religious boundaries like no other. I believe it is this concept that utterly embodies both my reason and practice, supporting my genuine belief in the power of art as a reflective, healing and inspirational process.  

The Corrine Burton Trust has been instrumental in the development of art psychotherapy within cancer and palliative care – an area that I identified an interest in early on. Unfortunately, many families have a connection with cancer. My formative years were dominated by a terminally ill grandmother with whom I spent much time at the Royal Marsden Hospital. This early experience and, sadly, frequent hospital visiting since, has influenced my ability to be comfortable in a hospital environment and around people who are both very ill and dying. Recent volunteer work at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford reinforced a belief in my capacity to accept both the wonderful capabilities of art in these challenging situations whilst acknowledging its limitations within a difficult reality of the patients and families suffering and grief.  

My hopes in the long term are to contribute to the field of art psychotherapy within cancer and terminal illness through practice and eventually research. The placement and two years' work that the trust supports will be invaluable in helping me to achieve this. I recently attended a research symposium held by BAAT that emphasised how art psychotherapy is still an emerging area with vast scope for further research and understanding. I strongly believe that with the support of the Corrine Burton Memorial Trust I could one day contribute to their pioneering and unique work in this field."