The world of mental health can sometimes feel full of debate about service provision with little space left for creativity and free thinking. That's why I always enjoy hearing from organisations like Asylum or arts organisations that open up debate and challenge thinking in ways that conversations about statutory services - however important - just can't.
So I was interested to find an email in my inbox this week from an outfit called Laced Banana. They describe themselves as "a theatre production company creating socially relevant theatre that aims to educate, inform and open minds." They've just finished a production called Blowing Whistles, a play about what it's like to be a gay man in 2011.They're now on the look out for people who have had experience of mental health problems to help put together their next production.
Here are the details on exactly what Amy and the team at Laced Banana would like your help on:
1. A new full-length verbatim play that we are collecting interviews and testimonies for. This is entirely anonymous and can be conducted either through face-to-face audio-recorded interviews or through written format submission. No personal details will be kept or shared in either format. The closing date for this is September 29th.
2. As part of a regular shorts-night project that we run every month around new theatre writing. We would like to do a shorts night specifically on new plays either about or by people affected by mental health issues. The writer would have the opportunity to work with a production company and have their play put on in a theatre in front of an audience of theatre goers and industry professionals. The writer can choose to remain anonymous if they so wish and we would encourage people who have never tried writing before to give it a go. The closing date for this is 26th September (earlier than the previously advertised date of 31st October).
If this is something you think you would be interested in helping with or have any questions, please get in touch through info@lacedbanana.co.uk
This email followed a meeting with a really inspiring guy who has come through a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder to write his own music and poetry. You can have a look at his work - including a beautifully written children's story - on his website here.
So I was interested to find an email in my inbox this week from an outfit called Laced Banana. They describe themselves as "a theatre production company creating socially relevant theatre that aims to educate, inform and open minds." They've just finished a production called Blowing Whistles, a play about what it's like to be a gay man in 2011.They're now on the look out for people who have had experience of mental health problems to help put together their next production.
Here are the details on exactly what Amy and the team at Laced Banana would like your help on:
1. A new full-length verbatim play that we are collecting interviews and testimonies for. This is entirely anonymous and can be conducted either through face-to-face audio-recorded interviews or through written format submission. No personal details will be kept or shared in either format. The closing date for this is September 29th.
2. As part of a regular shorts-night project that we run every month around new theatre writing. We would like to do a shorts night specifically on new plays either about or by people affected by mental health issues. The writer would have the opportunity to work with a production company and have their play put on in a theatre in front of an audience of theatre goers and industry professionals. The writer can choose to remain anonymous if they so wish and we would encourage people who have never tried writing before to give it a go. The closing date for this is 26th September (earlier than the previously advertised date of 31st October).
If this is something you think you would be interested in helping with or have any questions, please get in touch through info@lacedbanana.co.uk
This email followed a meeting with a really inspiring guy who has come through a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder to write his own music and poetry. You can have a look at his work - including a beautifully written children's story - on his website here.
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