Exploring Depression and Mania through movement, filming and drawing with Fiona Geilinger. This is a HERA project hosted by Brighton Health and Wellbeing Centre. Brighton, UK

The project, ‘Finding your Compass’ explores a creative road to recovery from depression. The main focus of the project is to share ideas that illustrate how different people deal with the condition. The focus is on recovery and we will go through a sympathetic and nurturing journey.
This project has been co-created by Rosaria Gracia and Fiona Geilinger.

The trigger to undertake this project came from the need to explore the stages of those suffering from depression, and the need to present an outcome, which could be a platform to move onto their next step of recovery, promoting, at the same time, positive mental health messages.

A film has been created expressing the journey of the participants. The film from the first pilot can be found on Vimeo. This film was shown at Wellbeing Gallery as part of the Artist Open Houses during Brighton Festival. It was used to raise awareness of the different avenues that can be followed to support recovery and it is expected that further showings will follow.

This pilot project has been possible through the support of the Small Grants Mental Health Promotion Scheme (BHCC/NHS), the Brighton Health and Wellbeing Centre, Same Sky and the Performing Arts Department at Brighton and Hove City College. The first report can be downloaded from the Finding your Compass website.