On Tuesday the 25th of October this workshop was held at BBC Radio Merseyside as part of the ‘Up for Arts’ program and was well attended by a vibrant group of individuals. The participant were asked a series of questions where they were to note down some answers or to sketch an image as a response. Some of the questions and answers are noted below:
How would you feel if you lost a leg?
Depressed
Legless and helpless
Challenged
How would you feel if your arm was no longer there?
Devastated
Lopsided and unbalanced
Lopsided, lost
Devastated
Horrified, out of balance
Useless, not able to cope, my arms are my voice
How would you feel if you could no longer remember your name?
Relieved, very relieved
Initially afraid, embarrassed
DITTO
Shy, but can play well
Frightened, scared, inward thinking
Confused and unhappy
Horrified, scared, disgusted, could be someone else
How would you feel if you couldn’t get through a door to a cafe because you were wheelchair bound?
Frustrated, alone.
Stressed and not know where to turn to.
Annoyed, Frustrated
I’d rant and rave and get them closed down for equal rights
Frustrated
Frustrated, most doors should be wheelchair friendly
How would you feel if you were not as intelligent as the average 10-year-old child?
Depressed
Silly, Idiot
Stupid at first, but 10-year-olds are taught a lot more than when I was 10.
How would I know
Bloody Stupid
Unknown, wouldn’t know
How would you feel if you could not communicate with people who could not speak sign language?
Patience
Depends on the subject
Inadequate and useless
What stigma’s are there around mental health, what impression do people have of schizophrenics?
Two people
Frightening as we don’t understand
Crazy, will harm, hurt or kill people. Hears voices all the time
Fear and uncertainty but sympathetic
Fear that they might become violent
How would you feel if your mother or daughter was a Bi-polar sufferer leading to excessive promiscuity?
Concerned about safety
Ashamed if I didn’t understand
Fed up of all the different people, hope they are practising safely
Disappointed
Embarrassed then devastated
How would you feel if you found out you had a mental condition and you were going to deteriorate?
Euthanasia
Scared
Horrified, would hide away from others
Frightened
Scared, feel like a burden
Depressed and afraid
How would you feel if you were disfigured so badly that you could not longer recognise yourself?
I’d know myself within
Friends who didn’t know me as me
Alarming to look at but would be different
I wouldn’t notice
The statements were then cut into sectioned and used to fill a clear polythene leg form to make a sculptural piece. A very interesting workshop generating many interesting discussions.