Routine as Repertoire

12/31/2021

A little over a year ago, I begun a new routine of swimming three days a week. I was inspired by you beautiful souls while filming for . I never realized how being in water helped me in so many ways aside from it being the one exercise I can do without wearing my lymphedema compression garments; releases my scar tissues from surgery, strengthened my hyper-mobile body, allowed me moments of quietness and peace. Thank you Swimming.

And thank YOU for being part of the project, especially to for helping me with it. I have not been posting actively but will resume in 2022.
Sending lots of love,
San

12/15/2021

07/19/2021

Hello friends, I will be talking about Routine as Repertoire together with Danette Joy Walker who shared her routines in the project. Please join if you are free! You can register for the event using this link https://forms.gle/GKZyu9TFaA7BgQi46.

On Thursday, July 22nd at 4pm pst/ 7pm est, July 23rd at 7am Singapore time, artist Weng-San Sit will share her work Routine as Repertoire, a multi-media project that explores routines that women and non-binary individuals incorporate into our lives as our bodies go through transformation and challenges. Through the sharing of routines, perhaps experiences such as illnesses, disabilities, aging, motherhood, and gender transitioning can be viewed beyond the tragic or heroic polarities, and the experiences may exist and be represented in all their complexities.

San will be joined by Danette Joy Walker, an artist and advocate who collaborated in the project, to have a dialogue about their experiences with illness and routines, and what it means to share those experiences. They will then facilitate a workshop reflecting upon routines in our lives or the lives of those around us using language and visual art, and discuss its relationship with labor and healing.

Healing/Arts brings together creative practitioners from literary studies, medical humanities, disability justice, and performance for a series of talks and workshops on the relationship between the arts and health activism.

Visit RoutineAsRepertoire.com to view the exhibition and https://healingartssymposium.wordpress.com/upcoming/ to learn more

Danette Joy Walker is an artist and an advocate. She has the unique perspective of being a Black woman who is experiencing the daily dance with metastatic breast cancer using traditional methods of treatment as well as incorporating complementary wholistic practices. As an advocate, she is passionate about helping women heal as well as empowering them with knowledge, research, and opportunities. Currently, she leads a weekly meditation, a monthly dance workshop, and an online project called Chant Des Oiseaux, which is a sacred space for Women Of Color. It combines the breast cancer experience with simplicity, and a love of life and self.

Walker holds a degree in psychology with high honors and is a published author in the Journal of Social Psychology. She has been trained by some of the most highly esteemed leaders in the field of yoga, meditation, energy healing, photography, and dance.

Weng-San Sit was born in Singapore and is currently based in Los Angeles, United States. She works primarily with photography and video, complementing them with text, archival materials, and other media as the project dictates. She received a BA in Economics at the National University of Singapore, General Certificate from the International Center of Photography and graduated with an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts.

06/30/2021

Post 2 of 2: Walking is one of the new routines that incorporated in her life after her diagnosis with uterine leiomyosarcoma.

“I make friends with my tumor and I do talk to them and say that for me to survive and for you to survive, you should not grow bigger, so that we can actually accommodate each other.”

Wendy Tan-Kuah Wendy Kuah , a mother, wife and retired businesswoman was diagnosed in December 2014 with uterine leiomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that affects the smooth muscle tissues. She underwent a full hysterectomy as well as a 5.5 cm tumour. In 2015, the PET scan reviewed that cancer had spread to other parts of her body so she has been living with a stage 4 diagnosis. She decided to retire from her education consultancy business to focus on her health. Apart from having medical treatments, she began walking as a way to take care of her body and leads the Sarcoma Support Group in Singapore to share knowledge, information and to provide emotional support to each other.

[Video description: Wendy walks across on a bright sunny day on the streets of Singapore]

More information on Singapore Sarcoma Support Group: https://www.ncis.com.sg/Our-Services/Patient-Support-Groups/Pages/Sarcoma-Support-Group.aspx and https://www.facebook.com/singaporesarcoma/

Routine as Repertoire explores routines that women and non-binary folks incorporate into our lives as our bodies go through transformations or challenges. Visit RoutineAsRepertoire.com to view the exhibition

06/29/2021

“I make friends with my tumor and I do talk to them and say that for me to survive and for you to survive, you should not grow bigger, so that we can actually accommodate each other.”

Wendy Tan-Kuah Wendy Kuah , a mother, wife and retired businesswoman was diagnosed in December 2014 with uterine leiomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that affects the smooth muscle tissues. She underwent a full hysterectomy as well as a 5.5 cm tumour. In 2015, the PET scan reviewed that cancer had spread to other parts of her body so she has been living with a stage 4 diagnosis. She decided to retire from her education consultancy business to focus on her health. Apart from having medical treatments, she began walking as a way to take care of her body and leads the Sarcoma Support Group in Singapore to share knowledge, information and to provide emotional support to each other.

[Image descriptions:
Image 1 - Lightpainting of Wendy walking in a narrow walkway towards the camera
Image 2 - Wendy smiles at the camera while seated in an office chair.
Image 3 - A close-up on numerous black pills in the palms of Wendy's outstretched hands.

More information on Singapore Sarcoma Support Group: https://www.ncis.com.sg/Our-Services/Patient-Support-Groups/Pages/Sarcoma-Support-Group.aspx and https://www.facebook.com/singaporesarcoma/

The light paintings in the series referenced Frank Gilbreth’s early photography which tracks worker’s efficiency by attaching lights to their hands. Routine as Repertoire retakes Gilbreth’s images and a woman’s self-care is shown to be labour in resistance and resilience.

Routine as Repertoire explores routines that women and non-binary folks incorporate into our lives as our bodies go through transformations or challenges. Visit RoutineAsRepertoire.com to view the exhibition

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06/22/2021

Erika describes the routines that she incorporates into her daily life.

“This past year, I have undergone quite a big transformation, a big change in my life. I went from being a single mom and a completely functioning independent, to now not having my son, and also not having the ability to walk. I was stabbed, I have 17 stab wounds on my back and I can no longer walk. So I am a paraplegic.” Erika (2019)

Erika Franco received her BA in Social Work and will be completing her Masters in Social Work by June 2021. Her dream is to assist cancer patients to receive the best possible care. She has also started driving again.

Erika had incorporated various care routines in her life because of her transformations. They include physical therapy, setting aside extra time for her hair, makeup, and dressing up, and connecting with other young women who are paraplegic in the community support group that she co-founded.
[Video Description: Erika sitting on her wheelchair in her living room for the interview]

Routine as Repertoire explores routines that women and non-binary folks incorporate into our lives as our bodies go through transformations or challenges. Visit RoutineAsRepertoire.com to view the exhibition

06/22/2021

“This past year, I have undergone quite a big transformation, a big change in my life. I went from being a single mom and a completely functioning independent, to now not having my son, and also not having the ability to walk. I was stabbed, I have 17 stab wounds on my back and I can no longer walk. So I am a paraplegic.” Erika (2019)

Erika Franco received her BA in Social Work and will be completing her Masters in Social Work by June 2021. Her dream is to assist cancer patients to receive the best possible care. She has also started driving again.

Erika had incorporated various care routines in her life because of her transformations. They include physical therapy, setting aside extra time for her hair, makeup, and dressing up, and connecting with other young women who are paraplegic in the community support group that she co-founded.
[Video Description: Erika doing her physical therapy]

Routine as Repertoire explores routines that women and non-binary folks incorporate into our lives as our bodies go through transformations or challenges. Visit RoutineAsRepertoire.com to view the exhibition

06/15/2021

“When I'm on the train, I will take that reserved seat if it is empty... sometimes my legs ache so much that I will try not to care about who is standing around me.. I was prepared that someone is going to take my photo one day and it is going to end up on Stomp (Singapore-based online journalism web portal), and I'm just going to get a lot of brickbats…”

Sherry .soon who lives with vasculitis, an autoimmune disease that affects the blood vessels in her feet shares how the invisibility of her condition adds to her challenge. Recently, due to feedback from Sherry and others, the Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving begun issuing a 'May I have a seat please' lanyard to encourage understanding to those with invisible conditions. (https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/may-i-have-seat-please-lta-rolls-out-stickers-help-commuters-invisible-medical-conditions)
Sherry's condition is chronic. During flares (less now), big open ulcers appear on her feet and she will have to be hospitalized and homebound for up to two months. She wears stockings and covered shoes to keep her feet warm, takes immunosuppressants, hormone replacement therapy, and supplements such as calcium to manage the osteoporosis caused by steroids. Her routines also include building community support for those with autoimmune diseases and other less visible communities in Singapore. Sherry is the founder of Be Kind SG, a ground-up movement that reaches out to the less visible communities in Singapore. She also facilitates a support group for those living with autoimmune diseases. https://www.facebook.com/AutoimmuneDiseasesSG. Please make sure to check out the great work that Sherry is doing!

Routine as Repertoire explores routines that women and non-binary folks incorporate into our lives as our bodies go through transformations or challenges. Visit RoutineAsRepertoire.com to view the exhibition

[Video description: Sherry applying cream and wearing stockings in her bedroom]

05/25/2021

Pika Sen and Wendy New had shared their routines with us after their cancer diagnosis. These soul sisters have now added a new routine; sharing their journey so as to support others going through breast cancer. Please support their work by following their youtube channel and share them along 😀

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJCLffyXSkQ&ab_channel=Wecancer-Vive

Routine as Repertoire explores routines that women and non-binary folks incorporate into our lives as our bodies go through transformations or challenges.

This is our 1st video for our channel. We will be uploading more videos to share our journey on how we battle with breast cancer and still are. How our famil...