Festival takes a look into mental health issues

Daily Life Ltd, is an organisation dedicated to mental health awareness and is led by artist Bobby Baker.

The festival, called The Expert View, aims to raise awareness around mental health issues and the work of the organisation.

Bobby said: “Daily Life Ltd believes in the radical potential of art to transform our understanding of ourselves and our relationship to the world around us.

“It creates powerful art that changes the way people think about mental health.”

The festival opens on Thursday at Queen Mary University with Bobby introducing a double bill of live art.

This Room, by Laura Jane Dean, is an intimate, raw and moving show that uses Laura Jane’s experience of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and her treatment for it, to challenge concepts of being ill and being well.

The festival will also include discussions, debates and various performances.

It will draw to an end on Friday with a relaxed cabaret evening.

This is compered by the double act of Bobby Baker and Dublin based singer/songwriter Dylan Tighe and includes contributions from guests including the Friends of East End Loonies.

Bobby spent 11 years battling severe mental illness whilst creating international acclaimed shows such as How To Live and Box Story.

Having first hand experience of poor mental health Bobby considers herself to be an “Expert by Experience”, as are all the performers, speakers and contributors to The Expert View.

Bobby added: “By putting the art first, the ways in which artists with experiences of mental health issues are traditionally perceived are challenged.

“They are neither the lunatic genius nor the gifted outsider, but ordinary people who have or had an illness from which they can go on to gain insights that can shine out and help us all.”

The festival starts at 7.30am on Thursday and ends at 4.30pm on Friday. For more information on the different performances and ticket prices visit dailylifeltd.co.uk