Can Art Save Us?

I’m raising the first national and international conversation about the real meaning of courage and curiosity and why it makes a big difference to our mental, societal and democratic health. I talk to award-winning, diverse, national and international artists about the role of curiosity and courage in their lives and work with lessons in wellbeing for all of us. I’m exploring why we need these qualities to help change the global epidemic of mental illness, loneliness, polarization of our communities, and even global conflict. Are we sure these qualities of curiosity and courage are flourishing and especially as the digital world drives dis-information and pushed content? Since the arts cultivate courage and curiosity, I’m asking the question Can art save us?

Be curious! SEASON ONE includes hip-hop poetry, graffiti, Islamic art, tap dance, filmmaking, music, drag, surrealism, photography and performance. The settings for this work include explosive protests in Istanbul, end of life, the Vatican, boy band tours, the WWII frontline, taking the stage, Egypt, museums, schools and the streets. SEASON TWO includes Islamic architecture, photography and protest, Syrian music, inclusive theatre, community arts, plays, installations and Windrush culture, ceramics and the Art School for the Homeless. The settings for this work include the war in Syria, the UK’s, 1985 Miners Strike, aristocracy and domestic abuse, the city of Brighton’s divisions and destiny, the 1970s West Indian Front Room, the body and pushing the boundaries of movement.