This is our artistic campaign to open up the conversation on men and mental health, focusing on the British Asian experience
Foreword from the writer
" I think depression for me started when I was an adolescent, I've carried it with me without question. Most of my life has been spent thinking I'm not good enough; normalising those self-deprecating, defeatist thoughts. A few years ago, a significant event happened in my life and it triggered the most severe bout of debilitating depression, OCD and anxiety that I have ever experienced. Getting through this was hard enough, but the most tiring and difficult aspect was pretending to my parents, my extended family and my friends that I was ok. I couldn't be honest about how I was feeling. Why? Because the stigma attached to issues in mental health are deep and ingrained. It's just not talked about. It’s incredible how much we can be controlled and oppressed within belief systems and expectations in our own communities. I have witnessed so many women and men having to pretend that they are ok. That they are strong. But inside they are crumbling and I can see that shame and guilt. But depression and anxiety do not make you weak. There is strength in vulnerability. This is an artistic campaign that is very close to all of us who are working on it. We want to bring untold stories to the forefront. To open up the conversation. It's uncomfortable and difficult to witness, I get that. But it needs to be told, it needs to discussed and changes have to be made. Now is the time."
Depression does not discriminate.
Anxiety does not discriminate.
All men from various age, socio-economic groups, ethnicities can suffer.
There is within the British Asian community, a stigma attached to having a mental health disorder.
Many have had to suffer in silence.
We want to bring these untold stories to the forefront.
Using prose, spoken word, rap and music from Indian and Western influences.
Funded by Arts Council England, we had a week of Research and Development at The Lighthouse in Poole. Writer, Neelam Parmar working collaboratively with director Charmaine K Parkin and two performance artists, Darren Godbold and Arif Najak.
Through a sharing of the work that we did during that week, at The Marlborough Theatre, we had our audience play a part in the development of a script for a full length play and an artistic campaign.
We opened up the conversation on men and issues in mental health.
Credits:
Photography by Ëpha J. Roe and Installation Projection Video by Ruairí Rowan-O'Connor