Seriously mentally ill people in Sussex have been given a musical master class in the art of being a DJ, courtesy of Fatboy Slim and Brighton DJs Audio Anonymous/Atomic Drop.
The musician, DJ and record producer, also known as Norman Cook, was the special guest at the workshop in Brighton & Hove, organized as part of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation’s Trust (SPFT) Make Your Mark arts and health program and funded by his NHS Charity, Heads On.
The event brought together six seriously mentally ill people to learn the skills of being a DJ, sharing the joy of music in the beautiful setting of Rockwater on Hove’s seafront.
Natalie Rowlands, Senior Occupational Therapist at the Sussex Partnership and main organizer of the event, said: “While there is a growing understanding of the role that the arts and creativity can play in the recovery of people with common mental health problems, much less is known about this for people with serious mental illness, who can often face the greatest stigma around their illness and, as a result, far fewer opportunities to be creative. We are absolutely delighted to be working with Fatboy Slim and Audio Anonymous/ Atomic Drop to challenge some of this stigma and bring the pure joy of music to people.
“It was really amazing to see the joy on the faces of the participants during this workshop.
“The goal was to bring people together through music, to give them a unique opportunity they wouldn’t normally have access to, to give them hope, inspiration and a creative outlet.
“One person told me it was a turning point in her life, it was the start of a new chapter for her and something she will never forget.”
Through its arts and health programme, Make Your Mark, the Sussex Partnership and Heads On recognize that access to the arts and creativity, including music, is often very limited for people with serious mental health conditions, particularly when they spend long periods of time in hospital with limited participation in their local community. The workshops are part of Charity’s approach to changing this, making music open and accessible to all by creating unique opportunities that give a creative voice to people who have too often been left out.
The DJ music workshop is the first in a series of four workshops, funded by Heads On and delivered in partnership by the charity and the Sussex Partnership.
Rachael Duke, Heads On Charity Director, said: “We are delighted to support music workshops, opening up greater access and putting people with serious mental illness at the forefront of creativity; celebrating the extraordinary contribution that participation in the arts can make to recovery. For too long people with serious mental illness have faced stigma and exclusion in all aspects of life and we are delighted that Fatboy Slim and Audio Anonymous/Atomic Drop have joined us in challenging this. Many thanks to them for their time, expertise and support, today has simply been an inspiration to all of us.”
The workshop program includes:
- ‘The Beat Goes on’ Samba Percussion Workshop: Wednesday, June 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Choral workshop ‘The Good Vibe’: Wednesday June 29 11-12:30
- Sound Healing Workshop: Wednesday July 6th 11-12pm
