MINDSCAPES and The Great Debate

Online. Free. BSL Interpreted.

Co-organized by SICK! Festival in Manchester and Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam, the online conference MINDSCAPES explores the ways in which environments—from our homes to our streets, and our cities to social media—affect our well-being and mental health. This two-day conference takes place April 22–23, 2021, and consists of six panel discussions with artists, architects, health practitioners, historians, psychiatrists, urban planners, and writers. The program offers first-hand experiences and an intersectional approach to issues surrounding access to mental well-being, and the role that has been, or can be, played by the art and health sectors. All events are online, free, and will be BSL-interpreted. Register here. 

Thursday, April 22, 5pm–9pm (CEST): Three consecutive panel discussions

–Fresh Air, focusing on urban gardens and the outdoors, with Jini Reddy, a travel writer based in London, and Mark Frith, an artist from Bristol
–Freedom of Movement, on public space and the built environment, with: Aidan Moesby, an artist and curator based in Bristol; Ruth Fabby, Director at Disability Arts Cymru, Wales; Mike Emmerik, partner at Crimson Historians & Urbanists and director of Independent School for the City in Rotterdam; and Stefan White, Professor at Manchester School of Architecture
–Institutions of Care in the arts and health sector, with: Richard Bennaars, Artistic Manager at Galerie Atelier Herenplaats, Rotterdam; Marieke van Rooy, academic and part of the artist duo Magano & Van Rooy in Amsterdam; and Wilco Tuinebreijer, chairman of Beautiful Distress, Amsterdam

On Friday, April 23, from 5pm–9pm (CEST), there are three more panel discussions:
–Staying In, with a focus on experiences of interiority, and, needless to say, in light of the impact of pandemic lockdowns, with: Jackie Hagan, poet, stand-up comedian and playwright; Hamja Ashan, an artist and the author of Shy Radicals; and Rotterdam writer Moosje M. Goosen
–The Digital Effect, exploring the impact on mental well-being conferred by a sense of connectivity and visibility as much as scrutiny and peer pressure, with: Robin van den Akker, Head of Humanities, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Sandeep Ranote, Medical Director of North West Boroughs Healthcare in Manchester; Joe Strickland, artistic director, Chronic Insanity, UK; and Ian Tucker, director of Impact and Innovation in the School of Psychology at University of East London
–Who Cares?, discussing accessibility strategies provided by, or lacking in, the arts sector, with: Alex Coulter, director of Arts & Health Southwest, UK; Pelin Basaran, program manager at Contact in Manchester; Esther Vossen, director of Het Vijfde Seizon in Amsterdam; and Berlin-based artist Romily Alice Walden

This program is developed by Tim Harrison (Creative Director) and Helen Medland (Artistic Director and CEO) of SICK! Festival, and Rosa de Graaf (Curator) and Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy (Director) of Kunstinstituut Melly. They will also moderate some of these panel discussions. The festival has been commissioned by SICK! Festival in Manchester and is funded by DutchCulture in partnership with the Dutch Embassy in the UK.

Additionally, on Tuesday, April 20, 7:30pm (CEST), a special program co-organized with Design Manchester takes place:
–The Great Debate: Mind and the City, where issues and strategies pertaining to urban planning, education and culture will be discussed. This program is chaired by Design Manchester’s Kasper de Graaf and features a number of speakers.

This debate and the online conference MINDSCAPES are part of the wider program of SICK! Festival, involving a month-long program of art commissions and artistic events. At Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam, it is presented in conjunction with its latest initiative, 84 STEPS. The initiative features art installations by Afra Eisma, the Feminist Health Care Research Group (Inga Zimprich), Moosje M Goosen, and Daily Practice (Suzanne Weenink), Raja’a Khalid, Lisa Tan, Domenico Mangano & Marieke van Rooy, and Romily Alice Walden. The programming within their installations gives special attention to issues surrounding mental health.