With World Mental Health Day (10 October) fast approaching, we round up the events in London that tackle the subject of mental wellbeing. From the West End play that follows a depressed teenager to the exhibition that questions contemporary wellness trends – plus talks, supper clubs and even mental health-focused workouts – here’s where to head to engage with your mental health this autumn.
The Mayor’s Peer Outreach Team (a group of young people from across the capital who help influence Sadiq Khan’s policies) are hosting an all-day young Londoner-led festival to mark World Mental Health Day, in partnership with Thrive LDN. The programme includes a film screening, creative workshops, presentations and panel discussions, all in the spirit of Thrive LDN’s commitment to improving the mental health and wellbeing of Londoners aged between 16 – 25.
While there, stop by City Hall’s public entrance to see the purpose-built ‘Language is Movement’ installation by print artist The Fandangoe Kid, which aims to inspire conversations about mental health.
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American video artist Shana Moulton employs an alter ego, Cynthia, to address the anxiety caused by the stresses of modern day life in her current, self-titled exhibition at the Zabludowicz Collection. Here, a collection of videos – the first of which was filmed in 2002 – play out in achingly photogenic rooms as the viewer follows Cynthia’s journey through contemporary wellness practices.
Dip your toes into a soothing, misty waterfall cascading from an eerie pink-lit arch complete with clockwork eyes. Then peer into other rooms kitted out with crystals and other popular wellness paraphernalia used in a bid to combat anxiety. All the while, you’ll find yourself reflecting on the relationship between consumerism and spirituality. Having moved between the rooms, mentally sorting fad from genuine fix, you might find you leave with a fresh perspective on your own wellbeing toolkit.
French playwright Florian Zeller’s latest play The Son, currently on at the West End's Duke of York’s Theatre, explores mental health and strained relationships. The third part in a trilogy that spans hit plays The Father and The Mother, The show follows Nicolas, a teenager who is struggling with everyday life: he skips school, bounces between his divorced parents’ houses, deprives himself of social interaction, and sinks ever deeper into an excessive gloom.
The Son is not an easy watch, especially for those who have personal experiences of depression and recognise the absence of answers to fundamental questions that swirl within this mental illness. However, it’s a poignant piece of theatre: providing an affecting account of one family begging to be released from this very real, very common mental affliction.
Back in January 2019, entertainment writer and food stylist Jenna Elsby launched Soulful Suppers: a national supper club with a goal to raise funds and encourage conversations around mental health. The first supper club was held at Wagamama in Soho and since then, Jenna has campaigned to get others to host their own Soulful Supper in their home or local community.
For help with the practicalities of hosting, head to the Soulful Suppers website, where Jenna has posted a downloadable DIY dinner party pack to get you started. The suggested donation per seat at the table is £20 per person, the proceeds from which go to mental health charity Mind.
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Bryony Gordon is a champion for mental health awareness. What's more, the journalist and author of best-sellers Mad Girl, The Wrong Knickers and Eat, Drink, Run knows how to get others to open up about it too, having interviewed the likes of HRH Prince Harry, Frank Bruno and Fearne Cotton about their own mental wellbeing on her podcast Mad World.
Gordon is headlining Emerge festival’s Mind and Body night at Dulwich Picture Gallery, an evening dedicated to celebrating mental health awareness and body positivity. Expect life drawing classes, mindfulness workshops and a chance to hear from Gordon in a Q&A.
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Feeling lonely? Everyone is welcome at the Dragon Café, which has branches in Borough (open Mondays) and the City (open Wednesdays). The volunteer-run venue is open for one afternoon a week at each venue (from 12PM –8:30PM), offering a programme of creative events and a space to enjoy a healthy meal or a cuppa in the company of others. Loneliness and isolation are often prevalent in those who have been affected by mental illness and the Dragon Café strives to combat that.
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If you have only a limited amount of free time and feel torn between spending it exercising and focusing on your mental health, we have just the initiative for you. The Green Gym, run by the community volunteering charity (TCV), is a nation-wide conservation project with an emphasis on getting fit while working in green spaces. Volunteers take part in group warm-up activities, before spending the majority of the session working on guided activities such as planting trees, sowing meadows or building wildlife ponds.
The Green Gym is as much for the good of your mental health as it is about getting active and looking after the environment. Studies have found that taking part enhances mental wellbeing – through having contact with nature and the social benefits of group activities – and because of this, some GPs now prescribe Green Gym sessions to their patients.
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It’s a well-known fact that yoga benefits the mind as much as the body. The London Yoga Festival, held over two days in October, brings together 30 senior teachers who represent excellence in their field, and students can learn how to engage deeper with their practice.
This year, the theme of the festival is ‘Kriya’: action through yoga. In the words of its organisers: ‘you can practice, listen, watch, debate, learn, be inspired, connect, all without the distractions and illusion of commercial stalls’.
Price: £171
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There’s a wealth of books, apps and podcasts out there on the various aspects of mental health. Which ones work for you will be entirely subjective and depend on what you’re going through, so it’s worth doing some research into what’s out there. In the meantime, here are three to get you started…
The app: Moodpath aims to be a ‘mental health companion’ to those struggling with anxiety and depression. The app checks in on you three times a day and you can use it to chart your emotional state.
The book: Remember This When You’re Sad is author Maggy Van Eijk’s memoir and self-help manual. Between Eijk’s personal experiences of struggling with mental health and her self-care advice, the book is both an encouraging read and practical guide to dealing with mental disorders.
The podcast: In her Happy Place podcast, TV and radio presenter Fearne Cotton draws on her own experiences of mental health as well as those of her famous guests, including Dawn French, Paloma Faith and Stephen Fry.
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