Talking Transplants at Edinburgh Fringe 2022

Aim

Help us get to Edinburgh Fringe 2022! After a year of setbacks, it's finally happening!

Hi! We're PaperDolls, a small, up and coming South West based theatre company! Thanks for showing your support by following us this far. 

We're back! Remember when we came to you 2 years ago asking for your help with getting to Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2021? Well....Fringe 2022 is finally happening! (yay!). 

New year, new pledge, new play!

2 sisters. 2 broken hearts. Whilst Rose fights for her life on the transplant ward, Hazel navigates complicated changes in her love life. One sister spends her days waiting, her body deteriorating as she faces a race against time to receive a heart. She lives a routine of survival involving doctors, rest, and confrontation with a fate unknown. The other sister is catapulted into an emotionally testing relationship with herself that proves different to anything she expected. Hearts are broken...healed...removed...added...but ultimately, changed. A heart-warming tale of family, support, and the reality of a life lived in waiting. Inspired by true events.

'A Change of Heart' is a brand new play written by PaperDolls co-founder Harriet Godfrey, and is inspired by key life events of our close friend and project collaborator Eliza Bell from Transplant Chats, who received a heart transplant at the age of 20. Eliza is now an advocate for the transplant community; coaching pre- and post-transplant individuals, and creating a network through her podcast 'Transplant Chats with Eliza'. With this piece, we endeavour to highlight the realities of waiting for a transplant, not having control over your own health, and the importance of having the organ donation conversation.

We were so overwhelmed with the support you showed us back with our original Crowdfunder project, which managed to raise an amazing £605! As much as that money is going to good use, now that we are actively planning our venue, registration, travel and accommodation, we have quickly come to realise that this will not be enough to help cover even half of our fees (a cheeky insight - the venue hire fee alone is about £1000). The life of creatives, ey?

We've applied for a couple of grants, which we shall keep our fingers and toes tightly crossed for, but these are not guaranteed. We are asking for your help once again in assisting a small, creative group of ladies who want their artistic voices to be seen and heard. We're aware that our plea comes at another difficult time, with bills and cost of living on the rise, but we would be truly grateful for any amount you can spare to help us. Our aim this time is to raise £1000, with a stretch target of £1500 if we can! 

We will also soon have merchandise available, with 20% of profits being donated to the Royal Papworth Hospital Charity, helping to support one of the world's leading cardiothoracic hospitals and the UK's main heart and lung transplant centre. You can also claim this merch by donating- £10 will get you a beautiful sticker, for £20 you will receive the sticker and a useful tote bag, and for a very generous £30 or more donation, you will receive a wonderful trio of the sticker, tote and an enamel pin badge! This merch will feature original artwork designed by Lauren Gale and will be sent out shortly after our performances in August. 

Much love,

PaperDolls x

This project successfully funded on 6th July 2022