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19 April 2020 – Online Jam – 7.30pm GMT
Theme: Hope
Join us for our second online jam. Register now! There’ll be music, poetry and comedy performances on the theme of hope. Plus, back by popular demand, SK Shlomo will host another rapid DJ set from his living room so we can dance together too.
If you would like to perform please get in contact:
24 March 2020 – Online Jam – 7.30pm GMT
Theme: Isolation
With live shows being postponed, we went online instead! Here’s more info about the performers at our inaugural online jam.
24 March 2020 – live show POSTPONED due to Covid19.
We will be running this event at a future date and will update this page when we have a new date confirmed.
Location: London, Covent Garden
Doors: 19:00 for a 19:30 start
Theme: Extreme mood swings
What is it like to be on a creative high, to have boundless energy, heightened perceptions and to feel like you can do everything and anything? Do extreme highs enable people to access a whole new level of creativity? Van Gogh, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikowsky are oft quoted as great geniuses known to experience extreme mood swings. Waiting on the other side is a low that is capable of going as deep as it went high. Is that a price worth paying for the highs?
Please note, this event is free to attend but tickets are limited. The venue will send a confirmation email a few days prior to the show, if you find you cannot attend please reply to that email and cancel your ticket so that people on the waiting list can be offered it.
Past Events
30 Sep 2019
Location: London, Covent Garden
Doors: 19:00 for a 19:30 start
Theme: Paranoia
Host: Liz Smith
“Anxiety Skirt” a performance by dancer Steff D’Arcy and electronic strings duo Immortal Machinery inspired by and incorporating “the anxiety skirt” made by fashion designer Sarah Hollebon.
“DSM-5 301.83” written by poet Emma Johnson and performed by Lisa Gornick, followed by a discussion about borderline personality disorder with Marsha Macadam, co-chair of The Greater Manchester Personality Disorder Strategy and Tom from 42nd Street.
“Demons”, written and performed by singer/songwriter Katie Kaboose, followed by a discussion around Body Dysmorphic Disorder with Katie and Kitty Wallace from the BBD Foundation.
“Who Are 1 in 4” – a presentation of 4 portraits from Pete Miro‘s collection covering the topics of schizo effective disorder, paranoid schizophrenia and psychotic episodes, followed by a discussion with Pete and Jon Salmon.
“The Schizophrenia Jacket” – presented by Sarah Hollebon as part of her mental health collection.
“It’s A Sharp Fog”, written and performed by poet Kim French, followed by a discussion with Kim and Rich Taylor.
“The OCD outfit” – presented by Sarah Hollebon as part of her mental health collection.
Final music performance by Katie Kaboose.
15 May 2019
Location: London, Covent Garden
Doors: 19:00 for a 19:30 start
Theme: Body Image.
Host: Liz Smith
“Spiralling” written by Katherine Harris, performed by Rachael Hinge (actor), Harriet Perkins (actor), Tommy Remon (drums), Dave Castell (drums).
“The Miseducation of Lauren Hill” performed Natasha Devon M.B.E
Extracts from “Stand Tall Little Girl” written and read by Hope Virgo accompanied by Rachael Hinge
“Naked Beach” hosts: Daniel Richards, Molly Forbes, Jsky
“A Stringless Bow Can’t Fire an Arrow” performed by Sean Houlihan
Dance performed by Omari Eccleston-Brown
“Scars” monologue performed by Ally Brett
“3 Little Birds” performed Natasha Devon, guitar Tommy Remon
26 March 2019
Location: London, Covent Garden.
Theme: Panic Attacks & Depression
Host: Liz Smith
“Panic Attack” written by Maria Mendes, sound design by Liz Smith, performance art by Marta Carvalho
“30 Minute Meal” and “My Therapist Is Called Sue” written and performed by Tim Fletcher.
“Live Through This And You Won’t Look Back” written and performed by Jacquelyn Guderley
“11 Minutes” and “Nurse Made Man” written and performed by Rick Dove
“Helping Hand” written and performed by Neil Avery
“Talk It Out” written by Neil Avery and Nigel Planer, choral accompaniment written by Suzy Davis, choir Angels of Kaos
Produced by Jon Salmon, Maria Mendes, Liz Smith
26th November 2018
Location: London, Covent Garden.
Theme: Intrusive Thoughts
In November 2018 we hosted our inaugural What’s Going On In Your Head? event. It came about through the The Secret Illness project. The theme was intrusive thoughts which led into a frank and revealing discussion about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It was off the back of the success of this event that the decision to made to make it an on going initiative that could explore many different aspects of the secret inner workings of the mind. This event was turned into an episode on the Secret Illness podcast.
