Evolving Minds In West Yorkshire
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Evolving
Minds in West Yorkshire is a pair of public forums which meet monthly
and are open to anyone and everyone to encourage public debate and
dialogue on subjects related to mental health. The Bradford Group meet
at the Quaker Meeting House, Russell Street, Bradford on the last
Thursday of the month at 6-8pm. The Hebden Bridge Group meet on the
first Monday in every month, upstairs at the Stubbing Wharf Inn from
7.30pm, . They also have a planning meeting there every 2 weeks.
At
Evolving Minds in West Yorkshire there is recognition that there is no
one superior way of understanding mental health. Evolving Minds holds
the belief that each person has wisdom and expertise about their own
experiences and what is likely to be real and / or helpful for them.
This wisdom needs to be valued and respected. Evolving Minds upholds
the right for people to self determine their experience.
Evolving
Minds in West Yorkshire is democratic, in that we encourage everyone
who
attends to contribute to decision making about both the content of the
meeting and the way it is organized.
The Bradford meetings consist
of a half hour creative slot where guest artists variously perform
poetry, tell stories, play music or use visual arts. Meetings then
usually have guest speakers, lasting about one hour followed by small
group discussions. The guest speakers are both from within the
meeting's membership and from further a-field.
Many people
choose to attend the Evolving Minds in West Yorkshire meetings
according to whether the subject matter is of interest to them. This
means that the ideas and attitudes promoted by Evolving minds (hope,
respect for different understandings of experience, respect for
subjective wisdom) reach a broader group of people.
Evolving Minds in West Yorkshire aims
To promote positive images of mental health
To educate the public in mental health issues
To provide a forum for discussion of mental health issues and related
topics
To
generate an increased level of acceptance and understanding of
experiences of distress and confusion (and creative ways to deal with
this) in the wider communities we live in.
To promote economic,
social, environmental and cultural integration of users/survivors into
mainstream society and their active participation and integration into
community life
Evolving Minds in West Yorkshire wishes increase
understanding of unusual experiences and distress. We hope to give
people the confidence to act positively around these subjects. In order
to do this we would like to hire known and credible guest speakers to
talk and facilitate discussion around different understandings and
approaches to mental health problems. These will includes social,
spiritual and personal approaches.
The Bradford group put on a
week of "Mad Arts" events to coincide with World Mental Health Day in
October in 2006 using creative arts, alongside an art exhibition to
both raise awareness and understanding of mental Health issues. We hope
to repeat this for 2007.
If you would like to know more, join our mailing list or get involved
please email info@evolving-minds.co.uk
or come along to our meetings at either the Quaker
Meeting House, Russell Street, Bradford, BD5 0JB
or The Stubbing
Wharf Inn,King Street, Hebden Bridge HX7 6LU