It is with deep sorrow that we found out that the amazing Sarah Wheeler (Thomas Tobias) has sadly passed away last Tuesday 19th April. Sarah is the brilliant Founder and Creative Director of the Dragon Cafe and the Mental Fight Club.
She has inspired and motivated many of us and will be deeply missed. Rest in peace Sarah heart emoticon
(Sarah, a fond Blakeanian, reading at the William Blake burial site in Bunhill Fields on the annual recurring gathering, celebrating Blake's deadday on 12th August 2014)
To follow we share the announcement from the Mental Fight Club.
Sad News from Mental Fight Club
An inspiraton to us all, Sarah Wheeler
It is with deep sadness that we share the news that our friend and colleague Sarah Wheeler passed away in the early hours of Tuesday 19th April. As you may know Sarah was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 and it was only recently that she moved into a hospice. Throughout her illness she remained engaged in many activities and continued to speak up for those with lived experience of mental illness.
Sarah has been an inspirational figure to many of us personally and also across the mental health sector and wider community. Sarah was that rarest of human beings, a visionary. Sarah’s friendship, her vision and her ability to create and communicate will always be remembered, and she will be greatly missed. Mental Fight Club (MFC) and the pioneering Dragon Café are her legacy to us all, and we will be continuing to develop and expand the important work that MFC does.
Funeral details will be announced in the next few days, and we ask people to respect the family's privacy at this upsetting time.
We hope that in Sarah's spirit you come along to The Dragon Café soon and celebrate her life through the many creative interactions available.
Sarah’s love of poetry and the inspiration she took from Ben Okri’s poem 'Mental Fight' is evident in many of her creative endeavours. Here is an extract from the epic poem called
‘Turn on The Light’The new era is already here:Here the new time begins anew.The new era happens every day,Every day is a new world,A new calendar.All great moments, all great eras,Are just every momentAnd every day writ large.Thousands of years of loving, failing, killing,Creating, surprising, oppressing,And thinking ought now to startTo bear fruit, to deliver their rich harvest.Will you be at the harvest,Among the gatherers of new fruits?Then you must begin today to remakeYour mental and spiritual world,And join the warriors and celebrantsOf freedom, realisers of great dreams.You can't remake the worldWithout remaking yourself.Each new era begins within.It is an inward event,With unsuspected possibilitiesFor inner liberation.We could use it to turn onOur inward lights.We could use it to use even the darkAnd negative things positively.We could use the new eraTo clean our eyes,To see the world differently,To see ourselves more clearly.Only free people can make a free world.Infect the world with your light.Help fulfill the golden prophecies.Press forward the human genius.Our future is greater than our past.
Mental Health Resistance Network needs help please - On May 3rd a 'non-debate' featuring Mind's Paul Farmer, Simon Wellesley from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Shadow MH Minister Luciana Berger and an artist and service user Alice Evans, will be held at the Old Vic discussing the question:
"Are we failing those suffering from mental ill health in the UK? It is estimated that around three-quarters of people with mental health problems in the UK receive no care at all. While the government has committed to a £1 billion spend by 2020, is this enough, or does something more fundamental need to change in our attitude, and soon? "
- we want to hand out a zine afterwards with voices of the people whose lives are affected by the failing/useless services that are on offer and which will provoke more thought than the 'non debate; which is likely to conclude that soon things will be better - they always say this and services always seem to deteriorate.
If you can write your thoughts/experiences, draw a pic or write a poem to address the question, please email it to admin[at]mentalhealthresistance.org by Wednesday 6pm - add you voice to the debate please
Next FEEL meeting is Monday 18 April, 6.30 - 8.30 pm, at London Action Resource Centre (LARC), 62 Fieldgate Street, E2 1ES.
At our March meeting lots of concerns about benefit changes and cuts were voiced. We think most people don't know that there is any help about benefits and how to get and keep them, and we felt we should try to make information about benefits advice more widely available. Would it be a good idea to have one of our evening events at Kingsley Hall highlight benefits advice and how to find it? We had a very good presentation from Disabled People Against the Cuts gave an excellent presentation at our November meeting and maybe it would be useful to hear from them again.. If you think it would be a good idea for us to do something about benefits advice, do come to the FEEL meeting on the 18th.
In November, we also heard about the human rights handbook for people with mental health issues produced in Chile. We do not know if it has been translated from Spanish into English, but one of our Spanish speaking members offered to translate it if that has not been done. It could be a really useful resource for the community. Join us on the 18th to discuss this and more.
Dear Friends,
A gentle reminder that next FEEL meeting is taking place next Monday as usual at LARC 6.30-8.30 pm.
Last Saturday 5 March the Mental Health Resistance Network (MHRN), Disabled People Against Cuts and Alliance for Psychotherapy organised the conference “Welfare Reforms and Mental Health – Resisting Sanctions, Assessments and Psychological Coercion”. Here you can find the speech by Denise McKenna from MHRN Welfare Reforms and Mental Health
Seen this video yet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFrqTFRy-LU
Dear FEEL Friends,
We have had a break from meeting for a few months. Let’s get together to think about what we want to do in 2016.
What ideas do you have for FEEL? Is there still energy out there to do our Friday evening events? Is there and issue you are fired up about? Come along and share your hopes and ideas.
Gather at LARC as usual – 62 Fieldgate Street, E1 1ES – at 6.30 on 15 Feb. I will do tea and coffee and if you want to bring snacks to share, that would be welcome. More important is to share your thoughts about FEEL.
Hope to see you Monday 15 Feb at LARC, Myra
After struggling with Multiple Systems Atrophy, sadly Steve recently passed away.
We will always remember Steve for his great musical talents.
Rest in Peace Steve.
Dear Friends,
We wish to thank the amazing speakers Cristian Montenegro, Rodrigo Fredes, Paula Peters and Dave Skull for their presentation at our Human Rights event at the Kingsley Hall last week.
As days are colder and shorter we received many apologies, however we were very pleased with the few but good participants that came along in support of the event. Specially delighted to see several Mad Pride members (please see details for event on 20th Nov below the page).
We were very pleased to hear the manifesto contained in the brand new Mental Health Manual of Human Rights presented by Rodrigo, which was recently presented in Europe, at the International Hearing Voices convention in Madrid. We look forward to see the English translated book soon. In the meantime the Spanish version is available to be purchased; please contact Rodrigo directly for more details on locospornuestrosderechos@gmail.com
Notes from the event are now available to be shared. Send us an email if you wish to have a copy.
F.E.E.L. is now 8 years old. This week, at our monthly meeting at LARC, we have discussed the work we have done in these past years, run entirely by complete volunteer initiative. Although externally for some people might have not meant much, for ourselves it has been of amazing benefit. We have now decided to have a sabbatical to take care of ourselves, possibly resuming the monthly meetings around February 2016. There probably won't be much action online either, as it's a much needed time for some media and social media detox, although we will do our best to support fellow campaigners events, when energy will allow us.
On a personal level, looking at the likeness of the figure 8 with the infinity symbol 
, there is a feeling of completion of what F.E.E.L. has served for ourselves and the community. Our message is out there, repeated infinitus, not only by fellow survivors, but from a large range of professionals around the world. Most of these, which might have first hand experience of mental illness themselves, have their own stories, their own evidence to share that match our own. Some people might have seen us as extremist, but probably those don't know, nor understand what we are talking about.
I have not got around sharing my personal story as I wish it to see imprinted; yet I am proud of being free from the damaging pshyco-drugs for over two years now. Nevertheless I am dependent to other meds that keep me alive and cannot incriminate Big Pharma from all angles. Nor I wish to encourage or push people to come off their meds; everyone needs to be free to make their own choices, responsible of the self and own life. Only suggestion is to stay informed!
My early (unedited!) blog posts still hold the strong feelings that have fuelled my involvement in F.E.E.L., which has been a great support in maintaining sanity in this crazy world. Thank you comrades!
Concluding, wishing you all to find strength and courage to go thought difficulties; always remember that either good or bad things never last forever. Make the most of your favourite ones!
--------------------------------
MENTAL HEALTH RESISTANCE NETWORK Event Friday 20th November
As part of MHRN's series of "SolidariTea" events at the Field in New Cross, on Friday from 7.30pm we will be hosting a Survivors Poetry performance with music and poetry from Dave Russell, Frank Bangay, Razz, King Miserable, C.T. and floor spots. Free crisps. All welcome. This will be preceded by a MHRN action-planning meeting.
--------------------------------
Tangled Up in Laing: Reading R. D. Laing
Host: Adrian Chapman. Venue: Arcola Theatre 24 Ashwin St, London E8 3DL
Date: Sat 21 November. Time: 12.30pm-2pm FREE To book: drop in
This discussion-based event introduces Laing, the radical Scottish psychiatrist, author and sixties counter-cultural figure (who played a part in the original anti-university of London). We’ll focus especially on Laing’s conception of alienation. Attention will be paid, too, to his influence and the ways in which he might be relevant today.
No prior knowledge of Laing is required. Brief photocopies of his work, on which discussion will be based, will be handed out. Why not make an afternoon of it? Book a ticket to see a performance of The Divided Laing following this discussion in the same venue. Adrian Chapman, who teaches English Literature and writing at American universities based in London, has published on Laing and anti-psychiatry and will take up a Wellcome Trust-funded research fellowship next year at University of Glasgow, where he will be researching in the R. D. Laing Archive.
www.antiuniversity.org/Tangled-Up-in-Laing-Reading-R-D-Laing
The Divided Laing. The play by Patrick Marmion is currently showing at the Arcola Theatre in Hackney, until the 12th of December
https://www.arcolatheatre.com/production/arcola/the-divided-laing
--------------------------------
The Survivors History Group London Meeting
The next Survivors History Group meeting is taking place on Wednesday 25th November. As usual the meeting will be happening at the mezzanine at Together, 12 Old Street, London, EC1V 9BE from 1pm to 4.30pm ish. Refreshments will be provided and everyone is very welcome.
--------------------------------
Mad about Poetry Books Launch 2
Thursday 26th November
Venue: Tea House Theater 139 Vauxhall Walk SE11 5HL. Door open 19:30
The most amazing evening coming to South London A magical evening of fun laughter and performance poetry with international poets. Never before and probably never again 17 of London's finest poets come together in one evening supporting 8 new title from W.C.H. Publishing , covering a range of emotion heartfelt express as only people who know. Their books take you on a journey of human hart string pluck to express the many different emotions. £3 entry, free for performers.
londonpoetrybooks.com/poetry/books-launch/
--------------------------------
William Blake's 258th Birthday Celebration
Sat 28th November, from 1pm
All are welcome to the William Blake Congregation's annual Celebration of Blake's Birthday at the Tate Britain, in the Blake room,(Turner wing) Millbank, SW1P 4RG. Free to attend. Bring Poetry, Music, Dance to celebrate William Blake 258th! Cake & Cava in the garden afterwards!
--------------------------------
Spark London Open Mic
Spark London has been called Britain’s first true storytelling club. Everyone is welcome to sit back and listen, or you can get stuck into the action and tell your own story. There are only three rules at Spark:
1) It must be true
2) It must be your own story, and
3) It must be under five minutes long.
With a different theme each time, you'll soon find yourself talking to friends and strangers about moments from each other's lives. Our aim is always to connect people through true stories. There are regular storytelling nights at the Hackney Attic and Upstairs at the Ritzy, and we put on a monthly show at the Canal Café Theatre featuring all the best stories plus special guest storytellers.
WORKSHOP: We run regular storytelling workshops to help you find and develop your stories. If there are no workshops listed on our events page then please email Joanna@sparklondon.com or join our mailing list so we can let you know what is happening when. www.sparklondon.com/attend.php
--------------------------------
***HEALING WAVE***
Sacred Cacao Lotus Love Journey @ Kingsley Hall, Bromley - by- Bow
Saturday 12th December 7 -11pm
5 Elements Meditation and Dance Sound Journey Sacred Cacao Ceremony with 5 element dance with the energy of AIR, with EARTH, with FIRE, with WATER. sacredcacaolotuslovejourney.brownpapertickets.com/
***Low income Online tickets £15
***Normal wages Online tickets £20
***At the door £25
