I’ve been meaning to write a blog entry since the opening of the exhibition. Maybe I did. I drafted this entry on paper, with the computer turned off – so as to be able to wind down and sleep better tonight.
My weeks have been getting tougher and tougher – such that I’ve not wanted to think about, or show people around ‘Furiously Mad’.
In fact, I went to PHM today with a sense of trepidation. I’d given apologies to the Pool Arts meeting prior to the talk by Helen Spandler.
At the end of today (Thursday June 5th) I am writing with a lovely feeling of contentment. The weather has transformed Manchester into golden shades. I’ve been able to enjoy the whole day; even the rain.
The talk was titled “Anti-psychiatry and Asylum Magazine”. Helen began by covering the Mental Patients Union, and Survivors Speak Out, and other movements composed primarily of recipients of psychiatry, rather than theoreticians and practitioners.
1986 was a notable year – Liz and Phil (Windsor) visiting China was not one of the milestones mentioned; the founding of Asylum magazine was.
Helen mentioned some pitfalls and problems with Asylum (and indeed with some of the movements she mentioned.) Only once, to my recollection was there a probably mistaken assumption that the audience knew of Survivors who had become names, mostly in Survivor research. Mostly, I hope, the talk was pitched at a level all could appreciate. She also looked at the state of play today – attempts to build refuges in the UK, run primarily by survivors. Best of all, was the discussion and questions that came afterwards.
Somebody from the Ragged University recorded the audio, hopefully catching the contributions of participants. AE also recorded Heen. I hope we can make a transcription. It was particularly brilliant to hear the contributions that came from Anne Plumb who has a Survivors’ archive and could speak with the voice of experience of the movements that were mentioned in Helen’s talk.
It was sad that not all Pool Arts members could be there. I’ve visited the forthcoming weekend’s destination: Glenside Museum of the Mind. I’ll be fascinated to hear the responses.
RM
