Conference 2018

SPEAKERS AND PROGRAMME:

PsychART18 will include talks and workshops from:

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry is an English comedian, actor, writer, presenter, and activist. Fry has spoken publicly about his experience with bipolar disorder, which was depicted in the documentary Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive. In the programme, he interviewed other sufferers of the illness. He is involved with the mental health charity Stand to Reason and is president of Mind, the charity. In 2018, alongside Nadiya Hussain and Olly Alexander, Fry was part of Sport Relief's attempt to raise awareness of mental health.

Performing Medicine

For over 12 years Performing Medicine have used methods from the arts to provide training for healthcare professionals and students, focusing on skills such as self- care, teamwork, stress-management, non-verbal communication and spatial awareness. In collaboration with healthcare professionals, we have conceptualised these skills in a model – Circle of Care - that demonstrates how they contribute to the provision of high quality care. This presentation will introduce the Circle of Care, a tool and framework to help us think about, practice and demonstrate high quality compassionate healthcare. Participants will be introduced to the ways we apply creative practices in healthcare, with a chance to experience some of the physical, practical techniques and exercises from the arts that we use to nurture the skills needed to provide good care.

The Koestler Trust

The UK's best-known prison arts charity, the Koestler Trust has been awarding, exhibiting and selling artworks by offenders, detainees and secure patients for over 50 years. They currently have an exhibition on at the Southbank Centre called I'm Still Here, running until 4th November 2018.

Mental Fight Club

Mental Fight Club (MFC) was founded by Sarah Wheeler in Southwark in 2003, as a creative force for change led by service users. The group has been running pop-up creative events since 2003 to explore issues around mental illness, recovery and wellbeing. These varied events play to packed audiences, using creativity to break down the barriers between the ill and the well, the supporters and the supported. In this way the group hopes to “open everyone’s mind to the wisdom and riches that can be gained in the journey through mental illness into recovery”

Key Changes

Key Changes was set up in 1997 by a group of patients, and aims to provide music engagement and recovery services in hospitals and the community for young people and adults affected by a variety mental health conditions. Their award-winning programme promotes wellbeing and recovery through developing creative, technical and vocational skills and opens pathways to mainstream opportunities in education, training, work experience and employment. Their innovative approach draws on clinical therapeutic techniques and professional music industry practice.

ELFT Arts

London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) are delighted to partner with PsychArt for this year's conference.  ELFT have a long history of innovation in Arts therapies and Arts in health including a significant research portfolio in partnership with our colleagues at our World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Service Development.  In this presentation, Dr Paul Gilluley Chief Medical Officer, Jennifer French Professional Lead for Arts Therapies and Stephen Sandford Professional Lead for Allied Health Professionals will share an overview of the evolving breadth and depth of ELFT Arts with our emphasis on co-production and promoting access to the arts as core part of wellbeing for our service users and staff.  Find out more about our work via Twitter @ELFTArts

SYNCHRONY Song Writing Workshop

The SYNCHRONY study explored songwriting in group music therapy for chronic depression. We will give a brief background to the study and songwriting approach, and then lead participants in an experiential group songwriting workshop. There is space for up to 10 active participants, and up to 20 observers for this session.

Professor Carmine Pariante and Dr Lynn Lu

Carmine Pariante is Professor of Biological Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, and Lynn Lu is an artist and lecturer at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. They have been working together on a number of art projects that investigate the lived experiences and the biological mechanisms associated with mental health difficulties. Their talk will discuss their collaboration on an award-winning, interactive performance-installation that addressed inflammation in the blood in people with depression (Professor Pariante’s main research interest), by creating a cathartic ritual.

Parvinder Shergill

Dr Parvinder Shergill, MBBS BSc, is a currently working in WLMHT, London. She is a co-founder for her own mental health charity in Romania helping children with learning disabilities, has been published for her poetry and writing for an online magazine, co runs a mental health podcast (Mental Health Book Club Podcast), is an actress with an London off West end theatre group, and currently in the process of attempting to get published for her written book.

Kathryn Watson (My Illustrated Mind)

I’m a doctor and a visual artist, and I’m passionate about the integration of arts and health. In particular, I believe that autobiographical storytelling through the arts holds immense power to facilitate communication, to change our perspectives of health and disease, and to aid healing. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), depression and anxiety. Over the past year, I have been illustrating my struggles with mental illness and my journey through therapy. Through my work, I hope to raise awareness and improve understanding of mental illness, particularly BPD, and to shed a light on the process of emotional healing. I am very excited to be attending PsychArt, where I will be introducing you to the world of ‘My Illustrated Mind’ and displaying some of the original paintings as well. You can also check out my work on Instagram (@myillustratedmind) or Twitter (@017kat).