Asian fashion, a musical set on a tube train, samba rhythms, African drumming and Palestinian dancing are amongst a showcase of art and dance which will reveal the impact creative projects and volunteering can have on people recovering from mental ill health.
‘Capital Gets Creative’ takes place at the Tab centre in London, E2 on Tuesday 7 November and brings together performers and artists from voluntary groups across London, all of which aim to support people to recover from mental health issues.
The event is being organised by Capital Volunteering, a programme which tackles issues of mental health and social exclusion through volunteering and is backed by CSV and the London Development Centre. Over four-fifths (85%) of participants independently surveyed on Capital Volunteering projects report positive outcomes, despite the underlying isolation experienced by many who experience mental health issues. (1)
Speaking at ‘Capital Gets Creative’ is Bobby Baker, who recently performed on the Barbican main stage with her production ‘How to Live’. Bobby says: “Mental illness is the last great civil rights movement in the West and I’m very pleased to be part of it. So many people’s lives have been touched by mental illness but it can still be isolating. Art can communicate things that are difficult to put into words and for me expressing my own experiences has meant I don’t feel so alone.”
Performers on the day include:
Crafts of Asia which is a project helping to empower women from Hillingdon’s Asian community combat anxiety and depression through craftwork. Women from the group will be modelling their work in a fashion show.
Kiran Seth is the Asian Projects Manager at Hillingdon Mind and the organiser of Crafts of Asia, says: “The fashion show is a huge step forwards for the women. A year ago none of them would have been willing to take part in such a public display. From being a very anxious group they have travelled a long way. Being involved with the group has given them a huge sense of confidence, empowerment and achievement.
“In India you are never left alone long enough to become isolated but in the UK you have to deal with your issues alone. It is easy to become isolated in a foreign country, especially if you don’t speak the language.
“Sometimes isolation is imposed by the family who want to hide away a depressed relative. This only makes things worse. People may think a depressed person is limited but here they prove that they are brilliant. It has been wonderful for the women to show their children their creativity, not just their depression.”
Camden’s Upbeat will showcase the lively Al-Zaytourna Palestinian Dance Group and the uplifting Suki Dia Kongo central African drumming group.
Originally from Alberta, Canada, Drew Jensen has lived in the UK for ten years. Whilst living in London he experienced a breakdown and found himself homeless. For the past three and a half years he has helped set up Upbeat in Camden which helps people with mental health issues use music as a therapy for their condition.
Drew says: “Three and half years ago I was staying at a hostel full of crack-heads but thanks to volunteering with Upbeat I have much more confidence and am now in a much more stable position. I feel like I am crossing a bridge back to being a positive citizen.
“Therapy can be made up of different forms of medication most of which aren’t very pleasant. Music is a far nicer form of therapy. People who have mental health issues face a lot of stigma, and many want to hide away but music encourages mental health users to get out of their flat and get involved in their community.
“Upbeat is made up of people of all backgrounds; including world class musicians. We didn’t want to make it exclusively for mental health users because we are all about being inclusive and not keeping people apart.”
Islington Music Forum will perform excerpts from ‘Sardines – the musical’, set in a trapped underground tube carriage. The musical was recently performed at Sadler’s Wells with a cast of over 40 mental health users and community volunteers.
Hugh Sturrock, aged 48 and from West Hampstead, performed in the musical. Hugh says: “Sardines reactivated something inside me. I had dabbled in acting before I got ill and I guess my inner creative being wanted me to get involved. It gave me a bit of hope because I enjoyed it so much.
“I knew performing would be stressful but everyone was well supported if it got too much. It was great to have a professional director and perform in a top theatre and it has given me the confidence to try and pursue performing even further.”
Capital Volunteering operates across 11 London boroughs: Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Camden, Islington, Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Hillingdon.
Further information about Capital Volunteering is at www.capitalvolunteering.org.uk
For further press information or case studies: Paul Donohoe/Jason Tanner, CSV Press Office on 020 7812 0037/38 or 07941 433598.
Notes for editors:
1. The Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, 2006.
2. Capital Gets Creative! Takes place on Tuesday 7 November at at the TAB centre, 18-20 Hackney Road, Shoreditch, E2 7NS. Afternoon programme is from 2.00pm to 4.30pm and the evening programme is from 5.30pm – 8.00pm.
3. There are more than 26,000 admissions to psychiatric hospitals in London every year with 21.7% admissions due to depression and anxiety, 34.5% due to schizophrenia and related psychoses and 21.9% related to substance misuse.
4. Capital Volunteering projects support people who are isolated due to their illness and whose confidence, self-esteem and social networks are undermined due to their experiences of mental ill-health. Projects also help mental health service users re-gain entry into employment. Capital Volunteering is backed by CSV and the London Development Centre. It received £7.3 million from the Treasury’s Invest to Save budget (ISB).
5. CSV, the UK’s largest volunteering and training charity creates opportunities for people to take an active part in the life of their communities through volunteering, training and community action. Each year 195,000 people give 4.9 million hours of their time as volunteers through CSV. CSV trains 11,500 people of all ages. www.csv.org.uk
6. The London Development Centre is part of the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) and one of eight regional development centres in England. It aims to support service improvement of care services in London and help ensure better outcomes for children and families, adults and older people, including those with mental health needs, physical disability or learning disabilities and people in the criminal justice system. www.londondevelopmentcentre.org