FRIDAY AUGUST 31ST – SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2ND
All events in 2018 will take place at the OSO Arts Centre (see below for more information). As well as the Short Film Prize, the art exhibitions, live music, new writing, original choreography, and panel discussions that were such a hit last year, the 2018 programme will also feature a number of new events, longer plays and practical workshops. We will also again be running a small bookshop throughout the festival – and, as in previous years, we will be asking for your feedback and, if you’re feeling brave, possibly even your contribution to some of our advice/memory boards! The full programme can be seen below, with further events and speakers due to be confirmed soon. Please check back here for the latest updates!
VENUE: THE OSO ARTS CENTRE, 49 STATION ROAD, BARNES, LONDON SW13 0LF
The OSO Arts Centre is a fringe theatre set by Barnes Pond in the beautiful location of Barnes Green. It is a short walk from both Barnes Bridge & Barnes overground stations, which are directly connected to Clapham Junction (c. 9 minutes away), Waterloo (c. 20 minutes away) & other stations. The nearest tube station is Hammersmith (Piccadilly, District, or Hammersmith & City), from where you can get a 209 bus to the ‘Barnes Pond’ stop, within view of the venue. Other buses that take you from Hammersmith to Barnes (though their stops are slightly further away) are the 72, 33 or 419, or you can get the 485 from Putney. There are parking spaces nearby around Barnes Green & parking is free after 6.30 pm. For further information, see the Festival Venues page on this website.
THE 2018 PROGRAMME
- Tickets to all events are available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/shadowroad & each event below has an individual ticket link listed alongside it as well.
- For further information about our partners, speakers and festival contributors, please see the Who We Are page.
DAY 1: FRIDAY 31ST AUGUST
SESSION 1: WELLBEING FOR THE ARTS – AN OPEN SESSION
SUMMARY: We are delighted that the wonderful ‘Wellbeing for the Arts‘ have offered to run a special session – open to absolutely everyone and free of charge – to launch this year’s festival! Come along and start your day – and your festival visit – with an hour dedicated to relaxation, connection and the boosting of your overall wellbeing, and leave with new tools designed to assist with stress management and align the mind and body.
TIME: 10.30am – 11.30am
TICKETS: Free – but with numbers limited, you will need to book a place HERE.
NOTE: There is no charge to take part in the workshop but there are a limited number of places available so if you are unable to attend for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing unbrokenshowcase@gmail.com so that we can offer the place to someone else. Thank you!
SESSION 2: WELLBEING FOR DIRECTORS – Presented in partnership with Wellbeing For The Arts & Stage Directors UK
SUMMARY: We are thrilled to partner with Stage Directors UK and Wellbeing For The Arts to offer this special workshop for directors. Many directors feel they have a responsibility of care towards their cast, so we have put together a workshop to help ensure that they are taking care of themselves first in order to then be able to provide a safe space for their actors. Led by Sian, a Kundalini Yoga Teacher, and Tom, a wellbeing coach and reiki practitioner, this workshop will provide you with a go-to toolkit of practices and techniques to prepare you for the working day and ensure that you are winding down at the end. Among other things, it will combine mindfulness practices, stress management exercises, breathing techniques and some light yoga postures to help bring you back into alignment with yourself when you need it!
TIME: 12.00pm-2.00pm
TICKETS: Free to members of SDUK – please email Jemma Gross at SDUK (jemma@stagedirectorsuk.com) to book your place;
£10 for non-members – please book HERE.
SESSION 3: ‘MENTAL HEALTH IN THE ARTS’ PANEL DISCUSSION
SUMMARY: A large part of the UNBROKEN Festival is about using the arts to open up conversations about mental health and reduce stigma. However we also feel it is important to acknowledge that people who work IN the arts themselves are perhaps particularly vulnerable to certain pressures on their own mental health – not least because of the nature and unpredictability of the jobs we all do, the sort of personalities we might have in order to be drawn to those jobs in the first place, and the unusually high levels of rejection (whether for a post we’ve applied for, an idea we’ve suggested, a manuscript we’ve submitted, or a role we’ve auditioned for) that we each encounter as part of our day to day lives. This discussion, with participation from the audience strongly encouraged (but in no way compulsory!), is designed to take a closer look at the issues we face and suggest a few potential solutions.
TIME: 3.00pm-4.00pm
TICKETS: £5 – please book HERE.
SESSION 4: OPENMINDED CAFÉ I
SUMMARY: Loneliness is a major cause of mental health problems in the UK, throughout all age groups. The OpenMinded Cafe – running at a similar time every afternoon on each day of the festival – has been designed with that in mind. Come along and join us for a free cup of tea or coffee and biscuits, and chat to some like-minded people, both young and old, those in need of company or suffering from mental health difficulties – or simply those in search of a good cup of tea or coffee and a chance to sit down! There will be talking point or two provided – a short film to watch or some poems to listen to and discuss – in case you need some inspiration to get you started chatting to others but it will all be fairly informal and relaxed. If you’re just here for the tea and a bit of company, silent or otherwise, that’s also fine!
TIME: 4.30pm – 5.30pm
TICKETS: The café is open to all for no charge and with no booking required – just come along and join us!
SESSION 5: THE UNBROKEN SHORT FILM PRIZE
SUMMARY: We look forward to sharing the 10 films shortlisted for the second annual UNBROKEN Short Film Prize with you on the festival’s opening night. As well as screening the shortlisted films, we will also be interviewing some of the filmmakers live on the evening and, once you have seen all of the films, asking you to vote for the recipients of 2018’s Audience Choice award. This will then be presented at the end of the night, along with our Winner and Runner Up awards as decided by the judges!
THE UNBROKEN 2018 SHORT FILM PRIZE – THE SHORTLIST:
🌟️ Gentle Mentals – by Veronica Padilla
🌟️ Bastion – by Ray Jacobs
🌟️ Swim, Bike, Run – by Henry Gosper
🌟️ The Job – by Shevy Gutierrez
🌟️ Balloon – by Robert Oliver
🌟️ Skógafoss – by Niels Bourgonje
🌟️ Whoever You Are – by Annette Westwood
🌟️ Out of the Dark – by Ruth A
🌟️ Ukelayla – by UkeLayla UCF Film
🌟️ Regrets – by A.J. Sykes
TIME: 7.30pm-10.00pm
TICKETS: £12 – Book online HERE or in person/over the phone at the OSO Box Office.
We are delighted that the Barnes Film Festival have generously offered all of UNBROKEN’s Shortlisted film makers free entry into their 2018 festival – good luck film makers!
DAY 2: SATURDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER
SESSION 6: CREATIVE WORKSHOP FOR 10-17 YEAR OLDS – Run by Sycorax Collective
SUMMARY: This workshop, run by the experienced Sycorax Collective, will gently explore the issue of mental health in a safe and encouraging environment, and will be suitable for younger participants. It will begin with a brief ‘check in’, where the participants will be given some free time to write or draw before moving on to a gentle discussion about mental health, mental illness, anxiety and depression. This will be followed by some fun painting and sculpting exercises! You will then ‘check out’, before the workshop is brought to a close. Sycorax Collective are committed to creating a safe and secure space where all feel able to express themselves without fear of judgement. There will be lots of encouragement and support from the facilitators, but no pressure will be put upon the participants to discuss or do anything they don’t feel comfortable with. Observers are welcome.
TIME: 11.00am -1.00 pm
TICKETS: There will be a maximum of 10 participants. Tickets cost £10 each – available HERE.
SESSION 7: ‘BOUNCE’ WORKSHOP FOR 8-13 YEAR OLDS – Run by Richmond Borough MIND
SUMMARY: This workshop, run by Richmond Borough Mind Youth Wellbeing Service, is designed to improve the wellbeing and increase the resilience of young people through evidence-based research using techniques such as Mindfulness. It will be delivered by volunteers with lived experience of mental health difficulties who share their experiences as part of the workshop. Everyone who attends the workshop is given resources for further support and advice.
Richmond Borough Mind have been running workshops around the borough for three years with young people aged 8 – 25. This ‘Bounce’ workshop is aimed at 8-14 year olds, with content pitched accordingly.
TIME: 1.30pm – 2.15pm
TICKETS: £4 each – available HERE. (50% of the ticket price goes straight to Richmond Borough Mind, with the remaining 50% being reinvested back into the festival.)
SESSION 8: CREATIVE WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS (18 & OVER) – Run by SYCORAX COLLECTIVE
SUMMARY: This workshop, run by the experienced Sycorax Collective, will creatively explore the issues of mental health in a safe and encouraging environment. It will begin with a brief ‘check in’, where the participants will be given some free time to write or draw about how they’re feeling, any questions or thoughts they may have, anything they like! It will then move on to a gentle discussion about mental health, mental illness, anxiety and depression which will be used as inspiration for some simple writing and painting exercises. After an individual ‘check out’ for each participant, the workshop will then be brought to a close.
TIME: 2.00pm -5.00pm
TICKETS: There will be a maximum of 10 participants. Tickets cost £12 each – available HERE.
SESSION 9: ‘MINDKIT’ WORKSHOP FOR 14-25 YEAR-OLDS – Run by Richmond Borough MIND
SUMMARY: This workshop, run by Richmond Borough Mind Youth Wellbeing Service, is designed to improve the wellbeing and increase the resilience of young adults through evidence-based research using techniques such as Mindfulness. It will be delivered by volunteers with lived experience of mental health difficulties who share their experiences as part of the workshop. Everyone who attends the workshop is given resources for further support and advice.
Richmond Borough Mind have been running workshops around the borough for three years with young people aged 8 – 25. This ‘Mindkit’ workshop is aimed at 14-25 year olds, with content pitched accordingly.
TIME: 3.15pm – 4.00pm
TICKETS: £4 each – available HERE. (50% of the ticket price goes straight to Richmond Borough Mind, with the remaining 50% being reinvested back into the festival.)
SESSION 10: OPENMINDED CAFÉ II
SUMMARY: Loneliness is a major cause of mental health problems in the UK, throughout all age groups. The OpenMinded Cafe – running at a similar time every afternoon on each day of the festival – has been designed with that in mind. Come along and join us for a free cup of tea or coffee and biscuits, and chat to some like-minded people, both young and old, those in need of company or suffering from mental health difficulties – or simply those in search of a good cup of tea or coffee and a chance to sit down! There will be talking point or two provided – a short film to watch or some poems to listen to – in case you need some inspiration to get you started chatting to others but it will all be fairly informal and relaxed. If you’re just here for the tea and a bit of company, silent or otherwise, that’s also fine!
TIME: 5.15pm – 6.15pm
TICKETS: The café is open to all for no charge and with no booking required – just come along and join us!
SESSION 11: THE HEALING POWER OF WRITING – with Richmond Borough MIND
SUMMARY: Sheela Hollywood and Ewa Rudz from Richmond Borough MIND talk about the work they have been doing at their Wellbeing Centre and the importance of the creative writing for the improvement and exploration of mental health. They will also answer questions from the audience, while professional actors will perform extracts from their clients’ work in the RB MIND Poetry & Creative Writing Groups.
TIME: 7.15pm – 8.00pm
TICKETS: This event is free of charge and open to everyone – there will be a donations bucket by the door on the way out but any donation is entirely voluntary!
DAY 3: SUNDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER
SESSION 12: ‘SEPPUKU: THE STRUGGLE’ – A Multi-Media Art Installation by Dr Amit Sharma
SUMMARY: Dr Sharma’s mixed media art installation combines painting, sculpture, music and poetry in an effort to raise awareness about mental health. After presenting it, he will discuss his work and answer questions from the audience.
TIME: 11.15am-11.45pm
TICKETS: This event is free of charge and open to everyone – there will be a donations bucket by the door on the way out but any donation is entirely voluntary!
SESSION 13: CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP – Run by Deborah Freeman
SUMMARY: Workshop participants will be invited to view the art exhibition which accompanies the festival and will then work on ways to incorporate reactions to the art into a piece of writing. (Freedom of expression is encouraged in Deborah Freeman`s writing groups, so anyone wanting to produce a piece which does not relate to the exhibition will be free to do so.) There will then be the opportunity to identify – via writing exercises, the examination of a selection of different objects, and group discussion – other ways of writing that link with the themes of UNBROKEN 2018, and to put those into practice.
NOTE: With the agreement of the individual writers, work produced during this workshop may be read out by actors during the evening showcase, and/or printed and displayed alongside the art it was inspired by. This is entirely optional, however – anyone who prefers to keep their work private is fully entitled to do so!
TIME: 1.00pm – 4.00pm including a brief tea break
TICKETS: There will be a maximum of 10 participants. Tickets cost £12 each – available HERE.
SESSION 14: OPENMINDED CAFÉ III
SUMMARY: Loneliness is a major cause of mental health problems in the UK, throughout all age groups. The OpenMinded Cafe – running at a similar time every afternoon on each day of the festival – has been designed with that in mind. Come along and join us for a free cup of tea or coffee and biscuits, and chat to some like-minded people, both young and old, those in need of company or suffering from mental health difficulties – or simply those in search of a good cup of tea or coffee and a chance to sit down! There will be talking point or two provided – a short film to watch or some poems to listen to – in case you need some inspiration to get you started chatting to others but it will all be fairly informal and relaxed. If you’re just here for the tea and a bit of company, silent or otherwise, that’s also fine!
TIME: 4.30pm – 5.30pm
TICKETS: The café is open to all for no charge and with no booking required – just come along and join us!
SESSION 15: UNBROKEN SHOWCASE 2018
SUMMARY: The UNBROKEN Showcase featured a wonderful variety of artistic responses – short pieces of theatre, live music, spoken word and dance – to World Mental Health Day in October 2017. All pieces were concerned in some way with mental health – with a number of artists thinking outside the box!
SHOWCASE RUNNING ORDER:
🌟️ The Big A – a short play by Carolyn Pertwee
🌟️ Rice – a short play by Lois Zoppi
🌟️ Hanna – a short play by Deborah Freeman
🌟️ Two original songs written for UNBROKEN – further details to be announced soon
🌟️ You Want to Commit Suicide, Is It True? – a short play by Todd Squitieri
🌟️ In The Balance – a short play by Marcia Kelson
🌟️ A selection of writing from the afternoon’s Creative Writing Workshop
🌟️ ‘The Things We Carry’ – a piece of choreography created by David Evans
TIME: 7.30pm – 9.20pm
TICKETS: £12 – Book online HERE or in person/over the phone at the OSO Box Office.
SESSION 16: POST-SHOWCASE PANEL DISCUSSION – ‘Mental Health – Better or Worse in 2018?’
SUMMARY: Chaired by Emma King-Farlow, UNBROKEN’s Festival Director, speakers include Val Farmer (Chief Executive of Richmond Borough Mind), Deborah Freeman (playwright & former psychiatric social worker) and Tess Barrett, a solicitor specialising in work-related psychiatric injury.
TIME: 9.25pm-9.55pm
TICKETS: Free and open to all!
FESTIVAL PARTNERS
We are delighted this year to be working with a number of partners, all of whom have made invaluable contributions to the 2018 festival programme.
Find out more about each of them on the Who We Are page.
