DATE:                    THURSDAY 22ND APRIL 2021

TIME:                     16.00 – 20.00 BST (UK Time) / 17.00 – 21.00 CEST (European Time)

LOCATION:           ONLINE

ACCESSIBILITY:   THIS EVENT IS BSL INTERPRETED AND LIVE CAPTIONED

THE RECORDINGS OF THESE EVENTS WILL BE AVAIABLE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO FIND OUT MORE.

DOWNLOAD SPEAKER AND PANELIST BIOS HERE

The impact of the world around us can have a huge impact on our wellbeing and mental health. Over two evenings, SICK! in Manchester and Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam will present six panel discussions examining the different ways we can be affected by our environment. The first day explores three themes:

Session 1: Fresh Air 1

16.00 – 17.00 BST / 17.00 – 18.00 CEST

Green spaces can have a powerful impact on our mental health and well-being. Why? From our own gardens, to parks and the wider countryside, places where we can be outside and connect with nature seem to provide a positive boost to our mental health. But we don’t all have equal access to this. Our first session looks at the social and cultural factors which create this inequality and asks how we can all share the benefits of natural spaces.

Moderator:
Tim Harrison, Creative Director, SICK! Festival

Panel:

• Jini Reddy, Author

• Mark Frith, Founder of Growing Togetherness
• Dr Vikki Houlden, Lecturer in Urban Data Science at the University of Leeds

Session 2: Freedom of Movement

17.30 – 18.30 BST / 18.30 – 19.30 CEST

In our second session we’ll be looking at why our city centres and streets sometimes fall short of being open for everyone. Our relationships with the places we work, play, socialise, study and shop have a huge impact on our daily lives. What assumptions do they make about us, our age, disability and income? What barriers do we encounter that stop us all fully enjoying our public spaces?

Moderator:
• Ruth Fabby MBE, DL, FRSA, WCMT Fellow, Director – Disability Arts Cymru

Panel:
• Dr. Stefan White, Professor of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture
• Aidan Moesby, Artist, curator and writer
• Mike Emmerik, Crimson Historians & Urbanists

Session 3: Institutions of Care

19.00 – 20.00 BST / 20.00 – 21.00 CEST

Approaches to care within mental health hospitals, wards and units have changed a lot over the years with artistic practices playing an increasing role. Bringing together individuals who have personal experience of institutions of care, with those who have delivered creative programmes in those settings, our panel will be asking if the move away from traditional ways of caring has resulted in greater awareness of compassion for people with mental health conditions.

Moderator:
Sofia Hernandez Chong Cuy, Director, Kunstinstituut Melly

Panel:
• Richard Bennaars, Artistic Manager, Herenplaats
• Marieke van Rooy, Artist
• Wilco Tuinebreijer, Chair of Beautiful Distress Foundation
• Angèle de Jong, Project Manager, Madness Meets Art

FIND OUT ABOUT THE FULL MINDSCAPES PROGRAMME

CREDITS
Jason Crouch – Digital Producer
Mel Rashbrooke – Stage Manager

PARTNERS
Kunstinstituut Melly