of mind of mind
‘It was conceived as a piece about how we might “diagnose” Shakespeare’s characters today,’ she says, ‘and it’s evolved to question what we really mean when we talk about something being “crazy”, particularly in relationship to women. I’m wondering what daily delusions we all subscribe to and, given this “crazy” world – especially when it comes to how we consume and what climate challenges await us – how we can best nurture our collective sanity.’
Meanwhile, Sophie Winter’s Don’t Panic! It’s Challenge Anneka returns after appearing at the Fringe in 2016, and it takes the artist back to her own childhood hero Anneka Rice, whose television show represented its star as the epitome of capable womanhood. Researched through interviews and Winter’s own experience, it explores loneliness, isolation, self-medication and the anxiety Winter has suffered since she was 15. ‘I remember going to the doctor about it when I was 17 and being sent on my way with a pocket full of Prozac,’ she says. ‘There didn’t seem to be a way of talking about mental illness then, so the show encourages people to, and it encourages people who don’t know about anxiety to ask questions and be open and understanding. When my parents saw it, suddenly everything started to make sense to them – before they found it very hard to talk about mental well-being and now they’re huge advocates of talking about mental health, which
was quite an amazing moment.’
These aren’t the only shows which will be playing. ‘Amy Conway’s Super Awesome World draws on Amy’s childhood love of computer games to talk about living with depression,’ says Eaton-Lewis. ‘Fisk by Tortoise in a Nutshell is, on one level, about trying to care for someone with depression, except that it’s told as a kind of surreal love story between a man and a i sh. It’s more abstract and often purely visual, like a living painting. Turntable by MJ McCarthy, meanwhile, is an exploration of the power of music to make connections between people, in which the audience’s own favourite songs and memories are as important as anything. ‘Mental health can be a hard sell,’ he continues. ‘Some people assume it’s going to be quite bleak or worthy, but in my time at SMHAF I’ve seen shows with funny songs, games with balloons, aerial performance, dancing, talking i sh, and a lot of them are playing to sell-out crowds. I get the impression that stigma around mental health is gradually decreasing and people are more willing to go and see work like this, so more artists are interested in making it. It’s been really interesting to watch, and has certainly impacted on how we think about the festival going forward.’
Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival takes places at various venues across Scotland from Mon 7–Sun 27 May.
Left to right: Don’t Panic! It’s Challenge Anneka; Fisk; Though This Be Madness P H O T O
: J E N S P E T E R E N G E D A L
1 Apr–31 May 2018 THE LIST 31