Dear Friends,
This week the Interim report of the Mental Health Act has been released assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/The_independent_Mental_Health_Act_review__interim_report_01_05_2018.pdf
The foreword announces that "Everybody has “mental health”, but far too many of us have mental health problems." Is this a wake up call for society at large?
It is disgraceful that Time to Change OR Heads Together are even mentioned in these papers.Heads Together might be a newish, trendy charity, since the Royals have their faces in it, but what do these individuals know or understand about the the brutal detainment procedures that common folks experience, often repetitively?Also scary that the report calls the Police partners,as a priority role in the care and assistance for people in vulnerable and distressed states. How does the police help there? With more scary force and violence?
Following last month very productive meeting organised by NSUN, a letter and press release are in preparation in response to the interim. Anyone willing to send comments to be included in the letter, please do so writing togould.dorothy@gmail.com in these next few days (to be received by Tue 8th May 5pm the latest.
We take this opportunity to wish the very best to NSUN for their fight in keeping their services running, since this is becoming harder and harder, with many groups actually being shut down over the past years bit.ly/2FJUIS3
We'd like to invite you to donate to their cause to keep the organisation going via www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/nsunsurvive10
Tomorrow Sat 5th May there will be the official launching of the Power Writers Exhibition at the Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives, 277 Bancroft Road, London E1 4DQ, noon till 4pm. The event will see the celebration of the SPiRiT of Philip Morgan and anniversary, and will also be the occasion to remember Dina Ibrahim and Patricia Chambers
Another very sad loss is the passing of fellow Survivor Grahame Feasey, aka Razz the Poet. A tribute to Razz can be found here bit.ly/2JHpuO2, where details of the funeral will be shared when announced.
Our monthly FEEL meeting is happening on Mon 21 May at LARC from 6:30 pm. Do join us. Please find a list of further info and events.
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European Outsider Art Conference 2018, by Outside In
Fri 4 - Sun 6 May, Pallant House Gallery, 9 North Pallant, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1TJThis year’s conference focuses on ‘the Artist’s Voice,’ celebrating the work of excluded and non-traditional artists and sharing best practice in the field through a series of presentations, key note speeches, and workshops delivered by artists and practitioners. The keynote speech to open the conference on the Friday evening will be given by multi-disciplinary artist Bobby Baker, who created the touring exhibition Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me 1997 – 2008. Presenters at the conference include the Living Museum (the Netherlands), Out By Art (Sweden), Venture Arts (UK), Joy of Sound (UK) and Look Kloser (UK). Panelists will include Garvald Artists (Scotland), Headway East London (UK), Arts Project Australia (Australia), Blue Circus (Finland), Creahm/MadMusee (Belgium), and Creative Minds (UK). Read more about the conference here www.outsidein.org.uk/eoa_conference_2018
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Mental Health Act review Speaker’s Corner Protest, by SOAP
Sun 6 May 2-5pm speak out then move to park for picnic after (weather permitting), Speaker’s Corner, Marble Arch corner of Hyde Park. In conjunction with the APA (American Psychiatric Association) protest in New York City on the same day.Seven years ago in 2011 SOAP (Speak Out Against Psychiatry) held their first Speak Out in Belgrave Square followed by a picnic in Hyde Park. We want to repeat this event to celebrate our 7 years of fighting an inhumane psychiatric system. We would welcome anyone who wants to stand on our SOAP box at Speakers Corner and tell the world what has happened to them or to their loved ones in the psychiatric system.
Or you can just come to listen and lend support
Twitter @soapgroup
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The Dragon Café "Spring into Summer"
Mon 7 May, 12 noon to 6pm, earlier closing due to the bank holiday.
Open every Monday, but only on a Monday, usually from 12 midday to 8.30 pm.
The Mental Fight Club has just celebrated their 250th Cafe'. Congratulations! dragoncafe.co.uk
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Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival
7th to 27th May, various locations. Now in its 12th year, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) is one of Scotland's most diverse cultural events, covering everything from music, film and visual art to theatre, dance, and literature. The annual festival takes place in venues across Scotland from 7-27 May 2018, aiming to support the arts and challenge preconceived ideas about mental health www.mhfestival.com/
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EmergingProud London ‘Reframing mental distress as a possible transformation process’
Sat 12 May, 10 am- 8pm, Kingsley Hall, Powis Road London E3 3HJThe Emerging Proud campaign is holding this event at the historic site where the eminent British Psychiatrist R.D Laing conducted the Kingsley Hall experiment. This pioneering project helped revolutionise mental health theory and practice. The Kingsley Hall experiment helped influence future mental health residential home projects that shared this vision of a more humanistic way of working with people in mental and emotional distress, for example, Soteria House and Diabasis. More info www.spiritualemergence.co.uk/announcing-emergingproud-london-2018
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London Night Walk through Suffragette City
Sat 23 June 11:45 pm throughout the night till the morning of Sun 24 June.Meeting point: corner of Queen Elizabeth Street and Tower Bridge Road Outside Sainsbury’s, ending outside House of Parliament at Boudicca’s sculpture. This walk is supported by NSUN, Hoarding UK and Colin and Strawberry Jazz. We are looking for volunteers to help and more supporters. If you think you or your organisation would like to know more please contact Michelle Baharier at mbfcsra@gmail.com
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BME MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE USER MANIFESTO LAUNCH
2 July, 2 pm Moudsley Hospital, Camberwell.Over the last 3 years, Kindred Minds has been consulting with hundreds of BME service users to write a manifesto highlighting changes to policy and practice that will improve our lives as BME mental health service users. The Manifesto, "A Call for Social Justice", can be found in executive summary, powerpoint and full report version from the links at the bottom of this webpage: www.nsun.org.uk/News/bme-mental-health-service-users-launch-manifesto
A fundriser has been set to help the running costs of the event www.gofundme.com/racial-justice-in-mental-health/donate For further details contact Raza Griffiths on kindredmindslondon@gmail.com
