MORTAL AND STRONG CHARITY

Mortal And Strong is a registered charity -No. 1209448 (Registered in England & Wales with the Charities Commission for CIO status) with a governing body, board of Trustees. Our objects are: To promote and protect the physical and mental health of the public in the

-Delivering in person and online health education programmes

-Educating the public about health inequalities and reducing social stigmatisation of disease

-Establishing art campaigns and exhibitions involving artists, curators and those with lived experience of disease to educate and raise awareness of diseases and associated health issues

-Providing grant funding to assist in the diagnosis, treatment or provide other support for those who have a disease or are in ill-health.

Every day too many people are facing their mortality at a young age. Facing life changing and/or incurable diseases, or even their mortality. It is scary, isolating and a difficult road to navigate.

Mortal And Strong is a charity using medical professional support and delivering art campaigns in an innovative approach to approach disease prevention and support. Providing a space to support, educate and signpost; pre-diagnosis, newly diagnosed, navigating a life with chronic illness, and how to face your mortality feeling empowered.

A charity led by medical experience, working with real voices of lived experience, collaborating with organisations of specialist support.

Across conditions, across communities, across cultures.

Scars of Gold is the 2024/25 campaign focusing on gender inequalities in health; putting the spotlight on women’s health. Sharing the voices of 100 women facing their mortality at a young age - those living with incurable and/or life changing disease; sharing messages of hope and strength.

The Scars of Gold campaign is a medical doctor-led programme interviewing 100 women with lived experience of incurable disease at a young age. Sharing their interviews the ‘Voices’ on the Mortal And Strong podcast and social media platforms. In addition to the interview, each women is photographed in a powerful series inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi, sharing their scars covered in gold leaf to portray the beauty and strength borne from facing life changing disease. The series will be shared over 12 months, culminating in a large National fundraising exhibition and event where the photography will be displayed as well as an art exhibition showcasing 100 artworks produced by emerging and acclaimed artists from across the UK, each artwork commissioned to be inspired by one of the 100 Voices.

Each week two Voices will be released with their story, photography and health information related to their underlying condition. The campaign includes health information for education and support, including collaboration with other national charities that provide specific and specialised support pertaining to the Voices conditions.

Trustees: (founder) Dr Liz Murray, Chair of Trustees Eleanor Howie, Amy Webber, Lisa Smith, Karianne Fox. Ambassador Mandy Chard, Nirusha Ridgwell, Sarah Phillips. Patron Helene Raynsford.

Exhibition - Event location is anticipated to be London with the possibility of further locations with some or all of the artworks. This will be confirmed by the end of 2024, with the event expected to be Spring 2025. MAS reserve the right to make changes to this, and have artistic control over how this is done to observe the values and mission of the charity campaign as outlined.

MAS spotlight charities - MAS is a charity whose governing body/outlining vision is to raise health awareness , provide support services and education on health issues affecting young people.. The 2024 Spotlight Campaign is focusing on Women's Health. As well as our fundraising going toward our own charity goals, we want to provide grants to other charities to enhance the specialist support available for specific health conditions. As part of our vision we are spotlighting selected charities, at present 12 selected charities have been confirmed (as agreed by the Trustees, following nomination by the Voices) and we have a limit on 15 should there be a need deemed by the Trustees to extend this. We aim to include details of the spotlight charities on our online platforms and all exposure to raise awareness of and signpost our audience to the selected charities. We will also be sharing a proportion of our fundraising through the year and exhibition shared equally between the below charities (outlined below). This will be done through a grant-making process in line with the Charities Commission. We want to ensure that we provide support for the specialist support services available, and so will be providing grants as agreed by the trustees, to the Spotlight charities to go toward services directly benefiting their beneficiaries. We aim to interview a representative from each charity (subject to availability on both parties) which will be shared on our Podcast (but this does not impact on grant eligibility). We will tag where appropriate the charities to continue to raise awareness and signpost our audience to them. We are doing this to support them as part of our charity objects and do not expect support (logistical, financial or other) from the charities to the contribution of the Campaign and invitation to interview for the Podcast is voluntary.

The confirmed charities being offered grants are:

1. Pink Ribbon Foundation (registered charity No. 1080839 )

2. Willow Foundation (registered charity 1106746))

3. Lupus UK (regsistered charity No. 1200671)

4. Addison's Disease Self Help Group (registered charity No. 1179825) 5. Nip Charity (Registered Charity No. 1188561)

6. Victoria's Promise (Registered Charity No. 1156377)

7. Time Norfolk (Registered Charity No. 1157905)

8. PANDAS Foundation (Registered Charity No. 1149485)

9. Menstrual Health Project (Registered Charity No. 1202034)

10. MS Society (Registered Charity No. 1139257)

11. Guidance Suite (Non-Profit Organisation)

12. BRCA Chat (Registered Charity No. 1195944)

ARTISTS

Artists will be invited to apply through an Open Call within a set time period. The cost of the open call application fee is small and to go towards covering the costs of running the project (see below). Artists will cover their own material costs and will be invited  to produce anywhere from 1-10 artworks that are inspired by the different voices collated during the project. All copyright and ownership of the artwork is retained by the author/artist, but artists agree for MAS to share images the artworks for the duration of the project free of charge, as publicity for the artist. Artists also agree to have their artwork included in the intended book (free of royalties or rights of the book) with full artist acknowledgement. Sales of artworks and prints will be promoted through the MAS platforms with artists retaining the profits, donating 20% (in lieu of commission fee) to the MAS project and charities. The intended fundraising event aims to exhibit as many of the artworks as feasible, which artists will be required to provide their artworks in a professional format and be available to discuss and and present their work. The MAS project vision is set out as intended but retains the right to alter or amend should circumstances require.

HEALTH EDUCATION

Health awareness information will be included as part of the MAS project, to educate and raise awareness of important health issues. This is not intended to substitute as professional medical advice and people should always seek professional advice from their own GP/health care professional in the first instance. Volunteers are sharing their individual journeys and sensitivity and discretion is advised. Health videos by Dr Liz Murray are produced as entertainment and health educational/awareness videos. Liz is a registered, qualified doctor without an active licence to practice. Liz left medical practice in 2023 to be a full time health advocate with a vision of using art to empower people with their health. All information is checked for medical accuracy but is not intended as a substitute for individual healthcare advice. Anyone with concerns for their health should always visit their own health care professional and no individual advice will be offered through this project.

COPYRIGHT

MORTAL AND STRONG is now a registered trademark. The use of the name, associations and affiliations is a UK registered trademark, owned by Liz Murray Art Ltd. All images, artworks, videos and intellectual property belong to the artists involved and are not to be reproduced, shared or re-distributed without the direct consent of the MAS team. 

FUNDRAISING DISTRIBUTION

Artists are not paid for the contribution to the campaign and retain copyright of their artworks, sales of their artworks are split so that they return a 20% donation from the sales of the artworks in lieu of commission which will go toward the Mortal And Strong charity fundraising (which includes the Spotlight Charity grant-making scheme). Fundraising at the exhibition through prize auction, raffles, ticket sales will be shared between the Spotlight Charity grant-making scheme and the MAS charity’s own mission (50% to the grant-making scheme and 50% to the MAS charity mission).

Artwork produced by Liz Murray to contribute to the MAS project - all proceeds raised will go towards the charities - 50% to Mortal And Strong, 50% to the Spotlight charities grant fund. This is as agreed by the MAS Charity trustees in recognition of personal conflict of interest and her role as a Trustee of the charity so that Liz Murray has no personal financial gain by entering into the exhibition process.

For transparency of how fundraising throughout the campaign is distributed between MAS and the spotlight charities:

Photography Sales from Scars of Gold - 100% of profits shared 50% to Mortal And Strong, 50% to the Spotlight Charities.

MAS limited Edition artworks (exempt from the exhibition, produced internally to fundraise to suppor the campaign, but not part of the exhibition) - 50% profits to MAS charity 50% to Spotlight Charities

MAS Merch - £5 each Tee to the Spotlight charities, remaining profit to MAS charity. Other merch 20% to Spotlight charities remaining to MAS unless otherwise stated explicitly.

Book: 50% of proceeds to the Spotlight Charities and 50% of proceeds to the MAS Charity.

Any moneys raised outside of the exhibition (fundraising, donations - excluding grants): 25% goes towards the beneficiary spotlight charities 75% to MAS charity (costs of the campaign). Any Grants awarded to the MAS charity are solely for the use of MAS to cover the costs of running the campaign/charity with costs being kept to a minimum by encouraging venue collaboration/sponsorship to reduce costs where possible, to maximise the return to the spotlight charities.

Reserve Disclaimer - MAS reserves the right to make changes/amendments due to unforeseen circumstances but only following a decision made by the board of Trustees of the charity and in keeping with the Charity Commission guidelines.

PRIVACY POLICY