Dorset Youth Fund has provided £1,750 of match funding
Bridport Mind Fest 2018
Bridport, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Following the success of our Bridport Mind Fest crowdfunder, we are now accepting ongoing donations of support.
During our original crowdfunding campaign, we successfully raised £4,330 thanks to 29 wonderful supporters. We are now continuing to accept donations to keep building on our amazing festival experience. Find out more about our original plans below.
Bridport Mind Fest 2018
Supporting and Celebrating Mental Well-being
“The Bridport Mind Fest is the first festival in our town that will address mental health ‘head-on’".
- Anne Rickard - Bridport Mayor 2017
“I have come to realise we walk beside the mind all our lives, the mind can be a brilliant creative friend but it can take us to dark places. Mind Fest celebrates the diversity and differences of minds."
- Simon Williams - Mind Fest Organiser
Bridport Mind Fest 2018 is supported by;
AND YOU!
What to expect
A festival for all ages to celebrate the power of the mind
Our approach is based on evidence which proves that connecting with others, learning new skills and doing something creative can all improve your mental health and well-being.
Workshops in creative writing, yoga & more!
Music & Performance
Art workshops and Exhibitions
Wellbeing Health and fitness
Learning and Education
Children’s Activities
Help us bring Bridport Mind Fest back for 2018!
Why Mindfest?
The reason we are running mind fest 2018 is to highlight for the local community of Bridport, the surrounding areas and anyone who cares to come along, the power of the mind. We do this by bringing together professionals, local people and anyone that wants to pop along and learn something new. We had huge success last year and we see this being a regular festival for Bridport and the surrounding communities.
"The Bridport Mind Fest made us all realise that there are other people like us.
I felt able to talk to people I know about mental illness and what it is like, people who I know well and have never talked to before about it.
It sort of liberated me."
- 2017 Festival Participant
The mind is complex and we all need to look after our mental health as we do our physical health. Through talks, performances and awareness raising, the festival aims to help us all find ways to look after our minds as part of our daily lives.
Our Current 2018 backers have some great reasons for supporting us.
Join them and pledge today.
“Anything which reduces the stigma of mental health problems is to be welcomed. Good luck with the festival”.
"Mindfest is an amazing organisation that draws attention to mental health issues and ought to fully supported by all of us. You never know when you might need to call upon the expertise available."
"So important that we all belong to communities where we feel OK and supported to talk about mental health and seek help ... which is what this festival is helping to achieve. ...amazing that it’s run by lots of passionate volunteers and all events are offered to the community for free!"
"The Mindfest is a wonderful idea with so many good implications for the whole community in dealing with the psychological and social problems that we all face."
Who is it for?
- Children, young people and families
- Mental health in the workplace
- Mental health later in life
- We ALL have mental health!
The festival is for anyone and everyone in or visiting Bridport
between the 5th and 10th of October 2018
Our crowdfunding goal is to run this festival for 2018 for the people of, and visitors to Bridport and to help educate all involved on the power of the mind and the possibilities it brings.
Our long term aspiration is to create not only an annual festival, but a year round programme of activities to support the mental health of people in need. To help us to start making bigger plans for the long term benefit of people in Bridport and the surrounding areas, we need to make Mind Fest 2018 even more successful than in 2017.
Your support now makes you part of the journey from the start!
How to get involved!
You can choose one of our great rewards and make a pledge to make this festival happen, or, if you can, simply make a pledge to support us.
Keep scrolling down this page for listing of some of the many workshops and events that will be taking place and many other activities that you might like to get involved with.
Why we need you!
We are running the Festival "By Donation" for local people, families and visitors to Bridport, who would like to come along and join any of the unique workshops, or watch any of the incredible performances and talks we’re putting on.
Mind Fest gives the whole community the opportunity to get involved, learn about the mind and help anyone that they know who might need it. No-one should feel ashamed to share their problems and talk about their mental health.
How it works....
If you are new to Crowdfunder you simply look at the rewards on the page and select one that you would like. Or, if you would simply like to support our page, then you can pledge an amount to support the festival.
Who is behind Mindfest?
Having witnessed the effects of mental illness on peers and loved ones throughout his life, Simon Williams, chairman of HUGS (Hughes Unit Group Supporters), thought it would be a good idea to have a festival of the mind. Led by Simon, the event has been organised by members of HUGS and a wider team drawn from the Bridport area community.
The 2018 committee is:
• Simon Williams Chairman coordinating structure, programme and Website
• Max Mackay-James Treasurer covering fund raising, crowdfunding pledges and finance
• Cressida Dicks - Secretary Facebook contributor and media
• Lesley Archibald
• Arthur Woodgate (with David Powell) - supporting work in schools
• Peter Wilson covering Music
• Colin Tracy covering House Design publications and the art Exhibition
• Kelvin Clayton coordinating contacts with third party organisations and the Town Council
Our Aims
• An annual festival of arts, events, workshops, talks and exhibitions celebrating mental health
• An all age festival with activities for schools and young people, & addressing the mental health concerns of an ageing population
• To promote better understanding in the workplace, school and family
• To promote a tolerant, caring and understanding society
• To be accessible to everyone; keep it a "By Donation Festival"!
• To promote mental wellbeing for everyone, and encourage early intervention
• To increase understanding and reduce stigma and discrimination around mental health
• Celebrate the achievements and creativity of people with lived experience of mental health problems
• To act as a signpost to local mental health services, and information that can help
Key Events for 2018
In 2018 we want to go bigger and bolder, with more performances, events and workshops, all with the aim of reaching out to our community, sharing stories and widening awareness of mental health.
Workshops
Workshops are key again this year, this year we’re putting a focus on ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’, with your help we’d like to bring the number of workshops to 20 - more than the number of workshops we offered in 2017!
In addition, we’re also asking some of our invited speakers and performers to hold extra special workshops with a focus on sharing their creativity, and mental health in the workplace.
Headline Speakers for 2018
Bel Mooney - The Advice Columnist for the Daily Mail
"She is a fluent and popular media performer
she speaks with honesty and compassion and
inspiration about her own life experiences"
Her collection: “Lifelines”- Words to help you
through, draws on this experience
Dr Jonty Heaversedge
BBC 'Street Dr' and co-author of 'The Mindful Manifesto'
“Mental health and the world of work” is the theme he will be focusing on at this years Bridport Mind Fest.
As well as a talk, he will also be offering a workshop to Bridport businesses and employees to help them play a part in supporting our town's wellbeing.
Music & Theatre
We want to bring in performers who have their own experiences of an alternative mind. Our confirmed acts include performers and musicians with their own lived experience of mental health issues, celebrating diversity and raising aspirations.
Rob Gee performs Kevin King of Egypt
Escaped psychiatric patient Kevin Haggerty is not pleased about his diagnosis, even less pleased about being on a section of the Mental Health Act, and distinctly upset about being told he is not the reincarnation of the pharaoh Ramses 2nd.
Reviews for Rob Gee:
"...an hour of genuine belly laughs and I actually spit out my drink laughing..."
"Smart, witty, and razor-sharp...”
Music from Danny Sumbler
A prolific singer-songwriter with over 300 compositions, Danny is also an author, maker of films and an artist with a large repertoire of evocative paintings and drawings. His work is unique in whatever medium he chooses to express in. Danny links his own and many other mental health conditions to the ways of the shaman and mystic - by choosing the road of alchemy and preserving an incorruptible mind.
Will Ferris & Naomi
Will Ferris has been active on the folk/acoustic music scene for over 25 years. Whenever he plays it is always guaranteed to be moving and emotionally charged. Will draws on his personal encounters with mental health problems and illustrates how music can act as an outlet.He will be performing as part of Mindfest and also facilitating a workshop in song and songwriting as a way of self expression especially with reference to mental health issues.
Schools and Young People
We know the earlier we can start supporting and promoting mental wellbeing the better - last year we worked with local primary schools and students from The Sir John Colfox Academy. A year seven student designed our logo as part of a competition - Mind Fest raises awareness of mental health in schools and offers a platform to our young people to share their thoughts and ideas.
“The festival provided a focus for all to be able to
explore the issues and have open conversations with
children as to what mental health is and how we can help."
David Powell, Chair of governors at Bridport Primary School and a governor at The Sir John Colfox Academy
The festival will provide a programme of activity in schools, culminating in performances as part of the festival, and this year we are really excited to be co-producing an event with Bridport Youth Centre;
Dizraeli
Dizraeli, is a rapper, poet and musician from Bristol, UK. Although rooted strongly in hip-hop traditions, his work draws inspiration from old folk music, recognising the common ground shared by songs of the people from any point in history.
Dizraeli has performed at the Glastonbury Festival, the Latitude Festival, the Eden Project, and the Royal Festival Hall. He has won both the Farrago UK Slam Championships and the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam.
Young people attending Bridport Youth Centre will take ownership in producing this event.
Exhibitions, drop ins, pop ups, mood-wall, discussions and much more!
Over this 6 day festival, we'll have a huge range of additional events such as art exhibitons, special events with the museum and all sorts of accesbible drop-ins and pop-ups all across Bridport for all ages and interests, all with the aim of supporting and celebrating our mental well-being.
We're really excited to be hosting stands from local and national mental health charities and service providers, including the NHS on Saturday during the festival. This is a real chance to find out more from people doing wonderful work on how to support yourself, your friends, your children and your town, in keeping mentally well, and how to access support if you need to.
How is the money being spent?
We need to raise around £7000 to make the festival happen this year, this covers things like print costs, venue hire and speakers' expenses. This is how the spending breaks down.
So please pledge what you can, spread the word, and play your part in supporting the community's Mental Health and Wellbeing!
This project successfully funded on 19th July 2018