| title | nav_order | background_color | icon | toc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
About |
4 |
yellow |
info-circle |
true |
This year we are collaborating with Bradford Producing Hub to put on a further week-long festival exploring more topics around performance and wellbeing, with a specific emphasis on Bradford and the North of England.
Sightlines 2021 was a two week online festival, exploring the conversation surrounding the relationship between performance and wellbeing, inspired by the thoughts and experiences of the many artists involved, with varied events including performances, workshops, talks and panels focused on the subject of mental health and wellbeing in its many forms.
Together we dug into the processes of creating performance, as well as how positive wellbeing can be promoted through different art forms and for performers, participants, producers and audiences. Space was made for discussion around specific aspects of performance and intersections with personal identity, experiences and societal issues.
During the pandemic questions around wellbeing in the performing arts came to the forefront as many artists had their work put on hold. Structural issues became more clear than ever, new wellbeing challenges arose and new forms of performance and performance outreach developed - making it a perfect time to reflect.
{% include team.html %}
Big Mind Theatre was established in 2017 to explore the relationship between performance and personal and societal well-being.
Our focus on mental health and well-being aims to extend throughout our production processes to support our performers, team members, and audiences.
Big Mind’s past productions include Going Slightly Mad, an unflinching autobiographical play about the mental health services in the United Kingdom. The show’s national tour and run at the Edinburgh Fringe took place from July to August of 2019. Our first foray into digital theatre was a production of Vaclav Havel’s absurdist classic The Garden Party which streamed live in July of 2020. The company’s first production, Mind-Full (2017), was a piece of verbatim theatre created by company founder Katrina Woolley on the topic of student mental health.
Big Mind’s other projects include creating Anxiety-Free Fringe Guide with the Edinburgh Fringe Society in 2018 and 2019 and leading “Mindfulness for Performers” workshops, thus we endeavour to expand the company’s reach and develop our unique directorial practices.
Big Mind’s most recent performance was the company’s first foray into digital theatre, this Czech absurdist classic commentated on the hindrances and absurdities of online communication. It was also an experiment into how well-being in the lockdown could be supported by providing an opportunity for performers and theatre-lovers to experience a live show through pandemic-induced restraints. Bouquets and Brickbats writes, “It’s live, properly live, and I love it […] this is a bright spot in a world of dark theatres.”
“A palpable insight into the reality of institutionalism in the UK” – The Student. Written by Michael Hajiantonis about his time in an NHS psychiatric ward, Going Slightly Mad is an honest and unflinching account of the mental health services in the United Kingdom. The production completed a National Tour and a run at the Edinburgh Fringe from July - August 2020. The Rattlecap called it a “rare double achievement of not only tackling taboos surrounding sectioning in this country, but doing so with a warm-hearted vigour that ultimately treated its characters with kindness.”
Big Mind’s first performance, “Mind-Full,” was a piece of verbatim theatre. A review from The Student reflected, “Using theatre within university as a medium to remove stigma, initiate conversation, and change perception is a thing to be celebrated.” The show was compiled by company founder and director Katrina Woolley who recorded and shared student experiences with mental health. Mind-Full launched Big Mind’s ethos to centre mental health and well-being within its shows and projects.
{% contentfor full_width_bottom %}
{% include partner-list.html title="Festival Partners" full_width="true" %}
{% endcontentfor %}