How To Be Well In A World That Is Sick?

About Bethan Dear and her work in the world.

I am a writer, director, performer and theatre maker. I am the artistic director of Jackdaw Theatre. I am a feminist and I am proud to identify as a woman. I believe deeply in equality, for all.

Stories have the power to create or to destroy. They are the difference between people feeling and living well, in peaceful harmony, with themselves, one another, and the Earth. Or a world riddled with a vast variety of on going social inequality, injustice, poverty, oppression, violence, and war.

I am passionate about stories that remind us of our humanity. I believe we have the power as people, to make this world that we live in, a better, safer, more beautiful and just place, for everyone.

This show

The show has been made in collaboration with New Pathways Rape Crisis and sexual abuse support service and and Green Ribbon Arts Festival run by the Mental Health Association.

How To Be Well In a World That is Sick? is a brave autobiographical show which. Bethan shares her story. Drawing on her own lived experiences of trying to heal deep trauma.

She combines film projection, movement, clown and spoken word.
Exploring the long term impacts of sexual and domestic violence.

Western Society. A patriarchal, image obsessed, capitalist, consumer-machine.
Gender based sexual violence. A global sickness. A worldwide epidemic.

How can we be well, when the over-culture conditioning has seeped into our very skin?

How can we recover and heal, when our social norms go against what we all truly need?

Where is the space to take our pain, our grief, our trauma, our rage?
Where can we speak, wail, shout, cry, be heard, held and validated?

A story of falling down, deep into the darkness.
Of getting lost, stuck and trapped, in the past.

A story of getting back up again, and finding the light.
Of beginning again. And again. Many. Times. Over.

We need Sara Carter

Bethan underestimated how much making this show would take from her. 

Re-opening wounds, re-exploring old stories in the journey to finding the things that are right and safe for her to share with audiences has been quite a journey. 

Add directing herself in the work she is making and the task has become completely overwhelming.

Sara Carter is a long time friend of Bethan's. She is a brilliant choreographer, a trauma specialist and a somatic therapist. Bethan trusts and respects her implicitly to help this show take a huge stride forward over the next fortnight. She urgently needs her expertise. 

These extra funds will pay for her time, allowing Bethan to have her support without having to pay for her from her already overstretched creative fee.

This small amount of extra funding will be transformative for this vital piece of work. 

Thank you, so much, for you kindness and generosity.

With love

Bethan & the Jackdaw team 

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This bulk of this project has been funded by Arts Council Wales & Lottery Funding.