My initial ideas stem from experiences of chronic illness and researching contemporary medical practices in a wider political context, which also includes its ecological impacts—from the cycle of medical-supply production (disposable plastics) and medical waste, to the unexpected biochemical impacts of using pharmaceutical medication, with traces of these found in wildlife. They also come out of my connections to family and research into healthcare in the SWANA region, where many toxic environmental situations are a consequence of political neglect (e.g. the Beirut garbage crisis, the 2020 Beirut explosion which significantly increased air pollution and respiratory illness), or military conflict and occupation (e.g. the bombing of buildings and infrastructure in Gaza, which other than direct fatalities also contributes to respiratory illness, while restricting access to healthcare through the

blockade).- I intend to work with waste through a making a film expanding from footage I’ve shot of my own DIY biological experiments, medical waste, anddecomposing materials; I would combine this with newer footage and tie together this narrative through text, that obliquely refers to personal experiences, the current global networks of waste disposal and its ecological impacts, while also projecting future scenarios of both humans and natural systems attempting to live with and adapt to these processes. In the past I have experimented with film (35mm) directly as a material, and enjoyed the process of phsyical film-making; if possible I’d like to explore ecological alternatives to working with physical film again, e.g. using non-toxic materials to develop film.- My approach to research has multiple strands that exist in parallel: one which is very tactile and sensory, and creates through direct experimentationwith materials, while also filming these processes in close-up; and the other is research through news articles and academic texts to frame these explorations in wider political structures, connecting the micro-scale to the macro-scale. My biohacking experiments came from an interest in decentralising scientific knowledge and to look towards modes of treatment for chronic illness outside of the unethical production and distribution by pharmaceutical companies and medical suppliers.- There is an inherently interdisciplinary approach in my work, drawing from my academic studies in Human Geography (how man interacts with theenvironment) giving an ecological outlook to my artistic practice, and my research on chronic illness, disability and queerness which has crossed over into ecofeminism and topics of disability and environmental justice (e.g. Alison Kafer) and in relation to queerness and toxicity (Mel Y. Chen), and I would like

to incorporate these perspectives into reflections on waste. It will also combine the various practices I have of film-making, DIY biological experiments, and writing both academic research and speculative science- fiction.- My objective is to bring together existing and new research and material, and different elements of my practice, through making a short film that canfunction as a container for some of these ideas. While I have established ways of researching and exploring certain topics, I feel my way of working has become quite narrow or fixed within the constraints of a specific project brief or exhibition space. Due to chronic illness, I work mainly from home by myself, which can be isolating; it would be great to be able to discuss ideas and have reciprocal feedback with others, to open up new ways of thinking and making, and to make work with a different subject emphasis.