Living Warriors at the Silver Screen

Past Production

Back in March, we had the friends and family screening of our LIVING WARRIOR short films for cinema  at  Screen Cinema Folkestone

The 7 message films, co-created with each individual Warrior, are intended to be message films in amongst trailers and ads before the main feature.

Each film shares one Warrior’s story of mental health and coming close to taking their own lives – and how they survived. These are films of strength, survival and realness, showing that anybody can be taken to the brink. We never know what is going on in anyone else’s head.

Most importantly, from tomorrow (7th Sept 2020), the films are going to be shown on BBC Ideas and across the BBC for World Suicide Prevention Day.

Folkestone Living Advent Calendar - Living Words

Past Production

Thank you to everyone who came out in the rain to Steep Street Coffee House for Folkestone Living Advent Calendar on Monday 16th December, 2019. It was the first time we have done anything ‘family friendly’. Thanks to JimJam Arts for the opportunity and support. And a big thank you to John Offen and his family.

Spreading the words of those with a dementia living in care homes, plus a sprinkle of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’. “Give the gift of your words, thoughts and listening this Christmas…”

Honey's Happening

Past Production

This event took place on Thursday 11th July 2019.

THANK YOU to everyone who made the effort to come and support us last night at our New York fundraiser performance. Delighted to say we reached our target for the evening! One step closer to NY…

Thanks especially to HoneysHappening for so kindly donating the show to us, and also huge thanks to Cheryl and the Folkestone Quarterhouse team for donating the venue. Onwards!

The latest 5 star ***** review of its run at Komedia Brighton is in and says: “Honey’s Happening is a wonderful immersive theatre experience, hilarious, tender, bonkers and thoughtful all in one. It is marvellously performed by two fabulous actors. Go and See it now”

Created Out of Mind partnerships

Past Production

As part of our partnership working with Created Out of Mind at Wellcome, the words of people living with a dementia that appear in our anthology ‘The Things Between Us’  were set to music by three of the winners of the BBC Proms Inspire programme. Their winning commissions were played live on Radio 3 as part of Radio 3’s Wellcome hosted ‘Why Music? The Key to Memory’ weekend. The composers’ mentor Kerry Andrews’ new commission, that responds to the words of a man with semantic dementia, who spent time with Created Out Of Mind lead Dr. Seb Crutch also premiered. Singing the pieces was the fantastic National Youth Choirs of Great Britain Fellowship Octet.

We were delighted to be involved, through our founder Susanna being a team member at Created Out of Mind. Thank you to all involved and love to all of those whose words feature.

Listen here on player, until 13th November: The Choir, Presented by Sara Mohr-Pietsch.

LANGUAGE, LOCATION AND ME.

Current Production

October 19th – 22nd we are curating events at Customs House: Urban Room, which is a Folkestone Triennial artwork by Diane Dever and The Decorators.

LANGUAGE, LOCATION AND ME
Conceived and curated by Susanna Howard & Living Words

Explore the boundaries of speech and how language affects our perceptions of ourselves and others by – eavesdropping on conversations; watching films; taking part in workshops; rewriting the UK citizenship test; attending a performance lecture; hearing the words of writers declaring where they live; and listening to a record playing the voices of Folkestone.

Thurs
Living Write!
19 October, 11am – 12.30pm. Free. No booking required
A workshops led by Bloodaxe Books poet and Living Words writer Shazea Quraishi, offering a chance for you to get your Folkestone story out. No writing experience or skills needed. Some pieces maybe shared at Sunday’s event…if you want that!

Created Out Of Mind

Current Production

We are delighted to be a collaborative partner of Created Out of Mind at Wellcome from Oct 2016 to July 2018.

In collaboration with people experiencing a dementia and those affected by dementia, Susanna has made the ‘Talking Life’ podcasts, to be launched Oct 2017.  These conversations can also be heard during the slow radio broadcast as part of the BBC Radio 3 Wellcome takeover weekend, 13th – 15th October 2017.

See our Facebook page for up-to-date pictures and info.

SHUTNELL

Current Production

An exploratory 11minute long performance film that reflects upon founder and artistic director Susanna’s decade of working as a writer up close and personal with people experiencing life with an advanced dementia.  Made with Zbigniew Kotkiewicsz, the film was premiered at Quarterhouse, Folkestone in May and shown at Wellcome on 27th July 7pm. It will be showing in the Folkestone Triennial Customs House/Urban Room, 19th – 22nd October, times TBC.

CREATED OUT OF MIND - TALKING LIFE PODCASTS

Current Production

As a collaborator on COOM at Wellcome, Susanna has been recording conversations with people living with a dementia. These conversations are framed around a universal theme, and also use objects and images from the Wellcome Collection archive.  Available to listen through your podcast apps and online from the end of September. For more information on COOM, click here: http://www.createdoutofmind.org 

WHERE NOW?

Past Production

How does it feel to question everything you know and believe? Where Now? came off the back of a nursing home residency working with participants who are experiencing dementia and sensory issues.  The piece is an exploration around the theme of consciousness and dementia. Devised and performed with Living Words Artists Astrid Goldsmith, Shazea Quraishi and Pippa Wildwood and directed by Susanna Howard.

Performances:

2016 Work in progress sharing Folkstone Quaterhouse- Normal? Festival Of The Brain

Here is a video about WHERE NOW:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zlpjMTi5yo

CRACKPOT

Past Production

Crackpot is a funny, bold, insightful theatre show featuring the words of people experiencing dementia and living in care homes in London and Kent.  These words, from people who are often perceived to have lost reason, are mixed with anecdotes from Susanna Howard’s years working in care homes in an astonishing and inspiring way.  Some people think she’s a crackpot, then they see the results.

Performances:

National Care Forum annual conference

Patients’ Association Gold Standard Event

NHS AGMs

Normal? Festival Of The Brain

Here is a video about Crackpot :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkJtkVoirC4&t=44s

LET THE WORDS SPEAK

Past Production

Readings to share our work and practice have been produced at British Library; Tabernacle theatre, London;  Free Word Centre; English Penn; Dementia Research Centre; and others.

Our work with the poet James Berry OBE has been profiled at events across London as well as featuring on Radio4.

WEAVE

Past Production

WEAVE brings together Susanna’s work with Living Words for care homes commissioned by Westminster Arts and her personal narrative that brings added insight, laughs, bizarre coincidence and bewilderment.

Performances:

The Cockpit Theatre – Arts and Wellbeing week

Westminster Council House – London Creativity and Wellbeing Week

Transport Theatre

‘A thought-provoking, generous and honest insight into Dementia and people who care for people with Dementia. Weave makes you reconsider your views on what you thought Dementia is and makes you requestion your understandings of subject.’ Katherine Lowe, Central School of Speech and Drama Tutor

The Tree

Past Production

The Tree is inspired by dementia consultant, psycho-therapist and trainer Danuta Lipinska, and Susanna Howard’s research into consciousness.  Focussing on the relationship between a woman with young onset Alzheimer’s and a psychotherapist who longs for change in her life.  The play, written in 2010 received a residency at the National Theatre Studio with actors Gina Mckee, Pamela Miles, Nick Fletcher, Suzanne Burden and Paul Bentall. Readings available.