A celebration of the arts, mental health and wellbeing is to culminate in a two-day showcase at Birmingham Rep.
Bedlam 2024 will present a diverse range of live performance including theatre and dance. Organisations including Sampad Arts, Midlands Arts Centre and the Red Earth Collective will take part.
Bedlam co-producer Sabra Khan said, “one in four people in the UK experiences a mental health problem each year. In England, one in six people experiences a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression each week. So whether you’ve experienced this, or know someone who has, you’re not alone. It’s vital to share your stories—and taking part in the arts is a powerful way to do so.”
Co-producer Steve Ball added, “we look forward to sharing some of the stories we’ve been exploring with participants through our programme alongside professional companies who are leading the way in raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing recovery through the arts.”
The Bedlam showcase will be held in The Door at Birmingham Rep on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 November. It will feature an extract from Katie Hoare’s Positive Risk which is “based on people’s lived experiences and testimonies, giving voice to those who feel trapped”; Witness This from Company Chameleon, exploring how loved ones cope with mental health problems by taking hold of someone close; and Just Enough Madness, a solo dance-theatre piece in the Indian style of Kuchipudi from Payal Ramchandi which “challenges society’s rigid boundaries of normal around motherhood, loss and identity”.
Further information is available at the Bedlam Festival web site.