Berlin Mental Health Festival

When I saw a Facebook post from Moni, the head organizer of the Berlin Mental Health Festival, asking for volunteers, I offered to shoot video.

So far, I've recorded a poetry night and two panel talk at sari-sari, a storytelling night at the wall comedy club, a stand-up night at cosmic comedy/kookaburra club. All events for the Berlin Mental Health Festival!
 
Also all without any compensation.
Tips greatly appreciated.
Check out my Patreon and PayPal details why don't ya?
 
Also,
in addition to video coverage of other events,
I hosted a performance-soundwalk-
hands-on workshop-dining experience
on Sunday, November 08, 2021. 
 
The purpose of it was
to gather, together;
to ask questions and to connect. 

Through ritual, essay, embodiment,
dance, dialogue, and dining,
we made space for
reflection and connection.
 
The experience is a response to:
"Wait, what is a mental health festival?
What could it be?"1

This mental health crisis is made of many crises, interdependency, you see.
It is a mental health crisis, but let's remember the crisis comes from many sources, 
like capitalist greed, state violence, oppression, climate collapse.
Plus last year, they threw in a bonus pandemic,
a little viral cherry on top.

It’s a lot
to face
at once.

Call it what you may, just remember what it's made out of—so you can identify proper counter measures,, if you know what I mean, abolition and so on, building a robustly caring world.

One question: What could a mental health festival be? It could be so many things.
A more specific question: given the state of affairs comprising this crisis, 
in what ways can we – you and me - respond to this crisis, here and now?


Brief agenda:

• This walk together, for the next 37.25 minutes, approximately.
• Then a stroll, alone, in silence. 20-60 minutes
• We meet again in a nearby flat.
• There, we will take turns talking in groups of three. We will practice listening.

 

• A container will hold us in the space, calling for tenderness, kindness, warmth. We may share stories, struggles, dreams, desires, questions, and reflections. It is an inviting space and time. This lasts 45 minutes.
• Then we share a yummy vegan meal.

 
 

1.
The psycho-social-artistic research for the project is rooted in heals_pace, a long-term collaborative, creative project on care and connection. This research began June 2020, as a direct response to the COVID pandemic. ​