Overprescribing in the UK’s healthcare system strains finances and limits access to essential care. A Government review found that 10% of primary care prescriptions were unnecessary. Profit-driven healthcare promotes unnecessary medicalisation of issues like body image and loneliness. This wastes resources and fails to address genuine suffering.
Our project centers around the concept of “false protection,” which we aim to explore through artistic expression. Drawing inspiration from the NHS’s campaign “Beyond Pills,” we seek to provide accessible and lighthearted “social prescriptions” to people.
In our project’s first phase, we crafted a sculptural garment using empty gelatin capsules, symbolizing the fragility of profit-driven healthcare offerings. Led by Xinyi’s expertise, we experimented with materials and methods, documenting our process to visually dismantle the illusion of false protection.
Expanding on our exploration, we developed a public art campaign distributing free “prescriptions,” inspired by existing initiatives like the NHS’s “Beyond Pills.” The campaign was designed by Zoe, with a humorous twist and emphasis on *care*, we attracted significant interest with our booth next to Boots on Tottenham Court Road, distributing 9 bags of prescriptions. Documented by Yiyang and Zeqin, the campaign successfully engaged passersby, sparking conversations about self-care.
