Theatre and dance “exploring and encouraging conversations around mental health” will be on display during the BEDLAM showcase in Birmingham.
In its 11th year, BEDLAM is an arts and wellbeing partnership which raises awareness of mental health through a diverse programme. Highlights of the BEDLAM showcase include extracts of Just Enough Madness by Payal Ramchandandi, a solo dance-theatre piece in the Indian style of Kuchipudi; Witness This by Company Chameleon, a dance theatre piece that is “powerful and deeply personal”; and Positive Risk by Katie Hoare, a “funny and poignant stage play highlighting the challenges in Britain’s mental health system”.
Steve Ball, BEDLAM co-producer, said, “the showcase will be the culmination of different projects the arts partners involved in BEDLAM have been working on, many with mental health service users. All the work relates to arts and mental health and seeks to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental health with all sections of the community.”
There will also be an exhibition showcasing the work that participants have produced through the BEDLAM programme in communities across Birmingham.
Sabra Khan, BEDLAM co-producer, added, “for me, the events and showcases are about developing empathy among audiences, being able to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes and learning what that experience might mean for someone else and how it might affect their lives.”
The BEDLAM showcase will be held in The Door at Birmingham Rep on Thursday and Friday, 28 and 29 November. The exhibition will be in the Library of Birmingham foyer from Thursday 28 November until Saturday 25 January 2025.
The full programme is available at the BEDLAM web site.