David Parkin in Conversation with Colin Gale & Lydia Towsey, followed by Bethlem Writers’ performance

Colin Gale is the director and former archivist of Bethlem, which means he knows rather a lot about the history of the place and about the history of mental health art itself. He will be talking about ‘David Parkin’s Delusions of Grandeur’ with Lydia Towsey, placing it in the context of mental health art and how it has a rich connection with service users speaking out and reclaiming their mental health environments.

As well as being a writer, performer and author, Lydia Towsey is an Arts in Health Co-ordinator for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, an organisation that produces comedy, poetry, writing and performance that has a mental health focus. She has also made work drawing on her own mental health experiences.

The panel discussion will end at around 2.50pm. After a short break, Dave will lead us round his exhibition, talking about his first night on the ward, falling madly in love, the inhumanity of seclusion and the rewarding process of recovery. Dave was lucky enough to hold several writing workshops with Bethlem-based writers. Along the way we will hear writing from the Bethlem Writers around these topics. Expect some fun stuff, some heavy stuff and even a song!