When I was 17 years old, a lady named Emma Cole came to speak at my school. Emma had been diagnosed with HIV at the age of 22. Her story was absolutely incredible, the stigma she’d faced, the rejection from her own mother and the circumstances under which she had contracted the virus. Not only was she completely open to to talking about her experiences, but her natural ability to tell the story and the humour she used to emphasis certain elements was astounding. Not one of us would have walked away that day and forgotten her tale.
She had such an incredible impact on me, the mark has been left throughout my entire design eduction. From my final major project on foundation at Kingston University, raising awareness about HIV, to my first year project to mark World Aids Day (1st December), to the photography portraiture in second year (see above), to the RSA project completed in my third year ‘Buddy’, which won a prize in the MAD (Make A Difference) competition 2008. Emma has been with me the whole way through supporting me and giving her insights into life with HIV.
Below is the link to the film I made in first year. It was played in a noisy pub in Kingston on December 1st 2005. The whole place went quite to listen to Emma’s tale, when it was then revealed she was standing in the room, she was given a round of applause.
Emma recently contacted me with her latest success…..
“I am now officially working in partnership with 46664, Nelson Mandela’s HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. This came about following a student who heard me speak at her school – turned out her Dad was Tim Massey, the international director of 46664 – and she told him to get in touch…and he did…and this is the result. I’ve been commissioned to work with them til Feb 2010 so hopefully you’ll check out my ‘blog’ once in a while.”
Click here for the interview with her……
Click here to see her first post on the blog…..
Well worth a read. One of the most amazing women I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.
Ruby
