“This project has been life-changing”

“How do I ask for help?” “What help do I need?” “How can I sort out getting benefits, getting housed, getting support with my mental health, when just getting out of bed feels like a challenge?”

These are some of the questions the cast of Change the Seen have been pondering over the past three months whilst devising their Forum Theatre show, which they have created with the help of Bristol-based mental health charity Many Minds.

This incredible cast of 16-25-year-olds have all experienced mental ill health and/or homelessness and the show has been built from their lived experiences. The questions are theirs and you, the audience, are invited to help them find the answers.

In forum theatre, the audience is invited to stop the performance and come up on stage to try out different approaches a character might take when dealing with oppression. It is a powerful way to open up discussions about how to change people’s lives.

To find out more about the show and the journey the cast have been on creating the show, we spoke to lead actor Tabby Rodney.

How did you find out about Many Minds and what made you want to get involved in the project?
I was working with a Rethink volunteer on anxiety, I had reached a point at which I was able to leave the house and we were trying to find a group activity.
Many Minds was, I think, the only drama based service/project we found. I wanted to get involved because it seemed like a great way to meet other people with similar interests.

How have you found the experience of devising the show? Have there been any challenges and if so, how have you overcome them?
Devising the show has been an incredible experience. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who struggled to show up that first time – but Olivia [Many Minds’ director], the entire team and all the other service users were so warm and supportive that we were all able to safely express what we were feeling, and learn to cope with that in a group setting.
Each session starts with a check-in: we say how our day’s been and where we’re at, if we need anything from the group. And it always ends with a check-out: something you enjoyed from the session, something you found challenging and a reflection on yourself or another/others. That might seem a small thing to do, but acknowledging how we are out loud to the group has allowed us to feel listened to and uninhibited while creating and exploring theatre about our own lives.

The cast of ‘Change the Seen’

Did you know anything about forum theatre before the project? How is it different from other theatre?
No, but in the first or second session Olivia described it as “a blend of theatre and activism”. As a group, we have all faced homelessness and/or mental illness, and during the devising process we looked at stimuli based on difficulties we have faced. We were encouraged to share as much as we were comfortable with, to create a piece which invites the audience to take part and truly have an impact on the outcome.

How do you think the audience will feel watching the show?
At this point we’re looking at quite a rollercoaster of emotions, but I really hope they feel inspired to take part.

Has being involved in this project changed you in any way? If so, how?
It’s had a huge impact on my life. Struggling with mental illness can be very isolating, and can dent the person you think you are – I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that this project has brought out a lot of confidence and laughter in all of us, and what has been amazing is how close we have all become. The project has been life-changing.

Why should people come to see the performance?
We explored a lot of difficult questions and topics, and you don’t have to get involved – but don’t miss the conversation. We’ve all had a rollercoaster time of making it and would love it if you were there to join us.

Change the Seen is presented by Bristol-based mental health charity Many Minds, in collaboration with Cardboard Citizens theatre company, Wyldwood Arts, 1625 Independent People, Aglow Films and Rife Magazine. The project is supported by Bristol City Council, Quartet Community Foundation and People’s Health Trust.

Change the Seen Wardrobe Theatre, Oct 19, 3pm, pay what you decide. For more info, visit www.many-minds.org/changetheseen

Oliver Gamblin is Many Minds’ assistant producer.

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