About the project
For over 1.5 million people in the UK now living with M.E. or Long Covid, lockdown is their reality. Life-limiting symptoms mean they’re often housebound or even bed bound. Shut in their homes and shut out from society, by their absence they have become invisible.
This project is social art at scale. A space for so many to express their creative voice and be heard beyond physical boundaries. The mirrorbox journey is determined by the locations that matter to them. They are the project’s co-creators.
Starting this year, a large mirrorbox will journey to 100 message locations across the UK. It may stay for a few minutes and be asked to move on. It might stay the whole day. At each location, visitors can enter the box and listen to the message from the person who has chosen that place. They will be invited to write a postcard back.
I Would Be Here If I Could needs further funding to grow the number of messages from people with M.E. and Long Covid and to support the mirrorbox journey. If your organisation would like to support the project, get in touch
About the artist
Alison Larkman is a Bristol-based artist living with life-altering M.E. She created the project after months of being housebound and dreaming about where she would be if she could. Her work explores themes of invisibility, fragility and the unseen. A former international rower, Alison studied at Chelsea College of Art, Newlyn Art School and Spike Island. In between those times, she has run businesses, worked with Hell’s Angels and retreated with M.E.
You can find more about Alison’s artwork at alisonlarkman.com.
About the team
We are a small team running a big project. Over 60% of the team are living with ME and Long Covid. We come from lived experience and as such a place of deep understanding.
So many people living with chronic illness and disability have experience and great skills but cannot commit to traditional working patterns due to the fluctuating nature of their conditions. We are looking to challenge that.
We have created role-sharing processes to enable and support multiple people to be part of our team (some of our team work as little as 2 hrs a week but still make valuable contributions). For every role, applicants must have the skills and experience we are looking for but the time they are able to work is flexible and open to discussion.
If this is you, and your skills and experience match any roles we are advertising (current vacancies are posted in project updates), please get in contact, we want to hear from you.
Our supporters
As well as individual donations, Arts Council England has awarded I would be here if I could two project grants to develop and start the project and we have recently received a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Special thanks to Action for M.E., which has offered time and expert advice on fundraising, and the charities Long Covid SOS, Long Covid Support and 25% M.E. Group for their encouragement.
We are continually fundraising for the mirrorbox journey and are happy to talk to businesses and organisations interested in getting involved and supporting us.
FAQs
What is M.E.?
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) also known as ME/CFS is a neurological condition which affects more than 250,000 people in the UK and has a major impact on individuals’ health and life. At any one time, one in four of those with M.E. are affected so profoundly that they are housebound or bedbound.
M.E. can be caused by glandular fever, COVID-19 and other viral infections, but the precise trigger isn’t always identifiable. It leads to debilitating fatigue and pain, amongst other symptoms, and people with the condition are often unable to recover from the slightest exertion.
While some people with M.E. can make good progress, others battle illness for many years and sometimes never recover. Severe M.E. may lead to cognitive impairments. People may depend on a wheelchair for all movement and be unable to tolerate dim lighting or soft sounds. At the most severe end of the spectrum, people are unable to swallow and must be tube fed.
For more information on M.E., visit Action for M.E. and 25% M.E. Group.
What is Long Covid?
A rapidly emerging condition caused by COVID-19 that is increasingly seen as a post-viral fatigue syndrome akin to M.E.. Last year, it was estimated that 1.3 million people in the UK – over 2% of the population – were living with Long Covid symptoms.
Long Covid has a wide range of symptoms that may arise due to virus-induced organ infection. Many of these symptoms align with those experienced by people with ME/CFS
For more information on Long Covid, visit Long COVID SOS and Long COVID Support.
Why does this project focus on these conditions?
I Would Be Here If I Could was developed from the experiences of its creator, Alison Larkman, who lives with M.E.. However, the project is also open to other people with health conditions that separate them from their former lives.
Why is the box mirrored?
The mirrors reflect the environment around the box and, at times, the box will appear almost invisible. When people step inside, they will also temporarily disappear from view. Both concepts reinforce the message that people with M.E. and Long Covid are often out of sight and mind.
How big is the mirrorbox and what is made of?
At two metres tall by 1.5 metres why, the mirrorbox is big enough to stand in. Made of two-way mirrored acrylic, those stood inside the box will be able to see outside, while those outside will only see their own reflections or the silhouettes of anyone inside. The box has been designed to be taken apart and reconstructed in locations from small rooms to open mountaintops.
Will the mirrorbox be COVID safe?
The box is well ventilated and, along with the headset, will be cleaned between visitors. The project will conform with all applicable recommendations at the time of each visit.
How will people hear the messages in the mirrorbox?
At each location, visitors will be able to listen to the message using a supplied headset and read the transcription on a tablet.
Can I hear all the messages?
Yes. All messages sent to the project are available to hear on this website alongside complete transcripts.
Can I send a message?
Initial messages were received between July and November 2023, and the project intends to accept more messages once additional funding is in place. These messages can be sent by anyone with M.E., Long Covid or other health conditions that prevent them getting to the places that are special to them. To find out when the project will reopen for further messages and to receive other updates, please join our mailing list.
How severe does my condition need to be to take part?
M.E. and Long Covid are hard-to-manage conditions with fluctuating symptoms. As such, anyone living with them may go through periods of being unable or able to travel. Everyone with experience of a health condition preventing them from reaching a special place is invited to take part in regardless of the current state of their health.
What will happen to the messages once the project is finished?
This website will continue to host all the received messages for some time after the project finishes. We will make a decision how best to archive the messages and the project at that time.
What are the long-term goals for the project?
Once completed, the hope is that another country will take on the mirrorbox and amplify the absence of chronically ill and socially invisible people living there.
Who is behind the project?
I Would Be Here If I Could has been developed by Alison Larkman, a Bristol-based artist living with life-altering M.E. The project is now operated through Invisible Visible CIC (UK company number 15705730), a not-for-profit company established for this purpose.
How can I help?
I Would Be Here If I Could is currently looking for support from businesses and organisations to facilitate the mirrorbox’s journey and to sponsor the map.
Financial donations and sponsorship collaborations would be warmly welcomed, as would in-kind donations from companies able to help with the logistical challenge of moving a mirrorbox around the country, often to remote destinations.
Perhaps you’re interested in helping out through a team-building day or corporate volunteering? The project is open to all offers of support and happy to consider innovative suggestions!
If you would like to help, even if you don’t know how, please get in touch.