Posted on: 24 July 2023
One Community stars shine with courage at the Playground Theatre for One Community’s Well Written - a project amplifying the talents and stories of people and their mental health journey.
The theme of the performance was ‘Bring yourself and that is enough’, a simple statement that needs no further explanation.
Like the sound of an orchestra, the stars of One Community - by themselves, with only their stories - filled the room and captured the attention of everyone in attendance with their own artwork created over the weeks enriching the stories and songs that accentuated the meaning of their voices connecting the moments, culminating in the moving 'Thank you for Hearing Me' by Sinead O'Connor.
A patient who is a resident in Kensington and Chelsea took part in the performance and said, “After the show, I went outside, one of the men told me how he related to my story and that made my day. I was understood and I am not alone. We can have different backgrounds, beliefs or come from different countries, but we suffer from this same experience. That gave me power!”
Another writer who took part in Well Written said, “One Community Well Written, is my space of healing. The trauma which was always at a forefront in loud and aggressive way, just sat at the back and suitably given a little time, love and attention. After all, is that not what any one of us needs? I am not held back any more by experiences, I am myself again.”
Professor David Mosse, professor of Anthropology and Sociology with SOAS, was in the audience and was moved by the event. He said, “A remarkable event, brave, moving and talented. A strong feeling of connection and that powerful message, ‘you are enough’.”
Head of patient at safety at CNWL, Michelle Draper, attended and explained, “I was so moved by everyone’s writing and how the performance was put together, it continues to be in my thoughts.”
One Community was founded by Cate Latto with patients at St Charles Mental Health Centre, it is a unique space of connections and love that improves patients’ wellbeing during their stays in hospital and after discharge. It is a family, that is every growing where the words 'magical' is now regularly used to describe the feeling of newness where carers, family, friends are naturally drawn in with the network, creating a sense of safety and community and of being held in mind, on good days, bad days, and all the days in between and bringing even those who are absent into the space where their voices and their presence is held.
Cate Latto, who has recently completed her second year as an Open Dialogue Mentor, said:
“Each time we present Well Written with One Community we break new ground. People overcome monumental challenges, to support and value themselves and others, it had a magical effect, moved me in a way that I will never forget - I was changed; we all experienced something incredible and life changing that can never be taken away and will hold its value forever.”
“People felt heard, dialogue was co-created, a beautiful polyphony emerged and the experience of sharing our vulnerabilities, sharing our stories in our own creative language wove a cloak of love and care around all who joined and overcame loneliness, crisis, fears, doubts, anxieties, self -esteem and worries. We were together with love for fellow human beings. There were tears of sadness and of joy – as in our every day lives and experiences - and shared connections , spontaneity and energies. Does it get any better than this?”
One Community grows organically as it makes new connections with patients, carers, loved ones, and with a little help from its many friends… and so it grows with more spontaneous moments
Keep listening... you will be ‘HEARING’ more from One Community very soon!
With thanks to All the Stars at One Community, Laura, Katherine, Simon, Marcin, Elizabeth, Damon, Diccon, Muna, Abdul, Cate, Jason, Ruth, Delilah, Gaelle Stewart , Joy Girvin, Anthony Biggs, and All at the Playground Theatre and to Holly Ann Catherine White at Cinethima films.
In special memory of our dear friend, Ruth Isaacs, (and with thanks to her sister Delilah and her family and friends who continue to support) and to the memory of our friend the wonderful Dr Nuala Mullan, we dedicated this fourth presentation of Well Written to them and to those who fund this work without who none of this is possible: Jon Fryer, Brooke Dobbyn, Victoria Stewart Todd and all at the Kensington & Chelsea Foundation, to the wonderful RBKC Arts Grants 2023, who funded this presentation, to Deonne, to Emma, to Verena and to the ever supportive, passionate and brilliant Councillor Sarah Addenbrooke.
Thank you also to Andrew Machin at CNWL Charitable Foundation and to everyone who came and made the day.
We are all One Community!