Yeah I’m fine!’ ‘Life’s a bit nuts, but it’s OK!’ ‘Just need to get through this rough patch!’
Sound familiar? Mental health, good and bad, is something that we all live with, but all too often push to the back of our minds, even when it’s our minds that really need some love. In a society that prides itself on a ‘keep calm and carry on’ attitude, conversations about mental health can feel awkward, intimidating and even a bit self-indulgent. Not. On. Our. Watch.
This November, Poplar Union welcomes back A Mindful Mess Festival (like MindfulNessbut, Mindful Mess- get it?! We’ll see ourselves out…) providing a space for all those awkward and intimidating conversations, but giving audiences the chance to experience them in a way that feels safe, open and, would you believe it, even entertaining! Mental health isn’t the only item on the agenda, we’ll also be showcasing the talents of some of the freshest neurodiverse artists and comedians the UK has to offer.
If this has got your brain thinking this might be for you, then check out some of our highlights:
Kicking off the festival we have Raffy Bushman performing some sweet musical meditation sessions alongside Cahit from Breathing Space. Join author and all-round funny man and mental health agony aunt, Jack Rooke, for a night of entertainment raising money for mental health charity, C.A.L.M. Nell Hardy will be performing her solo show about her experiences of homelessness and mental health hospitalization. She will then be running two workshops that weekend; one for people working in social care or/and mental health services, and another for service users with a history of homelessness and/or mental ill health. And for those living near to Poplar Union, local resident, Felicity, will be running a weekly early morning walk for ‘Win the Morning, Win the Day’. So, if you want to start the day right, meet her on a Friday morning in November for a community walk on the canal followed by coffee at Poplar Bakehouse. And she promises it won’t rain…!
There’s never been a better time to talk about mental health after the year we’ve just had, so come join us and let’s talk!
What: A Mindful Mess Festival 2021
When: Until Sunday 21st November
Where: Poplar Union, 2 Cotall St, Poplar, London, E14 6TL
