WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2020) Russia's Unity Foundation with the support of state agency Rossotrudnichestvo and State Space Corporation Roscosmos will hold a space arts therapy session for Zambian pediatric oncology patients on Wednesday.
The project which unites more than 40 countries will visit Zambia for the first time.
During the art therapy session, which will be hosted by University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambian cancer patients will be tasked to paint their dreams onto individual rubberized material pieces.
These segments then will be stitched together alongside hundreds of similar segments by Russian spaceflight manufacturer and space suit designer NPP Zvezda into a cover for the Russian Orlan space suit. The idea behind the project is that when kids' dreams reach the International Space Station (ISS), they will come true.
Kids will be able to dream together with the Russian cosmonauts who sent the video address from the ISS and Nicole Stott, the astronaut, artist and the Founder of Space for Art Foundation, USA.
The art therapy session is part of the Space Suit Art Project, a global initiative that has allowed children in pediatric oncology centers around the world to interact with astronauts and send them colorful, hand-painted suits to wear aboard the ISS.
This time, Spacesuit Art Project will spearhead the production of the next spacesuits DREAMER and BEYOND, which are expected to be launched to the ISS in 2021. Dreamer spacesuit is planned to be sent to the ISS by Roscosmos in February.
The Dreamer spacesuit was initiated 2 years ago by Unity Foundation (Russia) in continuous collaboration with Space for Art Foundation supported by Roscosmos and so far Dreamer spacesuit visited 7 countries (Switzerland, Russia, The UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Armenia) and 15 cities. Zambia will participate in the project for the first time and will become the 8th country and Lusaka will be the 16th city.
The project aims to creatively raise awareness about children's cancer while simultaneously giving children around the world a unified platform, encouraging them to dream, to explore, and to have courage in their journeys. Art creates community, letting patients to indirectly connect to others with similar stories internationally.
Alena Kuzmenko, the founder and president of Russia's Unity Foundation told Sputnik that holding such events bears special significance amid the raging pandemic.
"Such kind art projects uniting countries and continents are even more important in the times of pandemic where we feel isolated and it is much harder for the kids with cancer having treatment," Kuzmenko stressed. "At the same time while arranging the art sessions during the Covid pandemic we are very serious about taking all necessary measures to ensure safety of the kids we work with."
Alexander Anisimov, head of the representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Zambia, told Sputnik, that the agency welcomes such projects and always stands ready to support them.
"We are always happy to support international humanitarian project initiated in Russia. Spacesuit Art project is a great example of international cooperation for the good cause," he said.
Space Suit Art Project was launched in the United States 5 years ago by the artist Ian Cion and the astronaut and the artist Nicole Stott. Currently the project is developed globally by Space for Art Foundation (USA) and Unity Foundation (Russia) with the support of Roscosmos and NASA.
Since the beginning of the project 5 spacesuits have been made and every spacesuit has its symbolic name: Hope, Courage, Unity, Victory, Exploration. Three of them has been at the International Space Station.
