FFinally we are back in the room - we are so pleased to be able to host our FFirst night back. Our theme is Truth and Triumph, we have FFive FFantastic FFeatures who will set the night on FFire! what a come back we have waiting for you. All our tickets have sold out to comply with covid conditions, however we do have a waiting list ready for when we can increase numbers. You can book tickets via our landing page or our instagram bio @featuredfifteen
15th July at 7pm
Brown and Green Cafe Crystal Palace Park
Jack is a vegan chef and marathon runner living in South East London. Founder of Leo, an event and catering company based in Crystal Palace and most recently Bolt; a running club and honest space to speak about greif, mental health; and raises awareness for male suicide. In 2019 Jacks best friend Bolton took his own life.
This event affected Jack more than he was ready for and he struggled immensely with the grief, feeling unable to know how to speak about it, but also wanting to speak about it all the time. When he finally found a way to express how he was feeling, it stripped him to his most honest self and Jack used running as a tool to heal and gather his emotions.
Jack also felt an urge to want to bring others together and speak about how he was dealing with his emotions more openly with friends and family, but over time also with a wider audience; showing that it’s okay to feel how you feel; when it comes to grief there is not liniear path, but there are things you can do to help ease and ground that pain. As someone who has always been a keen runner he found that during this time it became even more important as he worked through his feelings Bolt is a space jack holds in memory of Bolton, he uses the club to openly speaks of his greif and to connect with others.
Jack wants to show how empowering running can be by building a community and hub for everyone to thrive together, support each other and feel less alone.
@boltrunclub
Laura Hepworth is a Conceptual Artist, full time teaching artist and supporter of the small business community.
Through the makings of her vibrant and energetic artworks Laura utilises her creativity as an outlet to support and boost her own wellness. Bringing awareness to the journeys she has grown from her experiences of mental health and grief.
Since featuring as a shortlisted artist in 2015 as part of the CVAN Platform Graduate Showcase at the Turner Contemporary in Margate, Kent. Laura has hosted numerous exhibitions across South East London & Kent.
Now, as a supporter of small business her creativity is not confined to the canvas as Laura uses her imagination to come up with collaborations and ideas of ways of supporting those around her.
Her upcoming exhibitions are ‘Journey’ at the Jeannie Avent Gallery in East Dulwich will be open open from Thursday 5th August- 17th. Following ‘Abstract Art’ at the Brick Lane Gallery in Bethnal Green, opening from 14th-27th September.
Follow Laura’s art journey on Instagram now by @lhepworth2
Twitter @LHConceptual
Website www.laurahepworth-conceptualart.weebly.com
Sara Nisha Adams is an author and Fiction Editorial Director at Hodder Studio, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton. Sara has previously published fiction at Harvill Secker, Vintage, and Headline.
She lives in North London, and was born in Hertfordshire to Indian and English parents. Her debut novel The Reading List is published by HarperCollins in July 2021. It's a story that celebrates libraries, community and family, and centres on an unlikely friendship between a lonely grandfather, who is desperate to connect with his bookworm of a granddaughter, and a teenager working at her local library in Wembley for the summer.
Sara's novel was partly inspired by her own grandfather, who lived in Wembley and immediately found a connection with his granddaughter through books.
Originally from Leicester, I moved to London at the age of 28 to start a career in advertising. For a while, it was amazing. I will have written and created commercials you would have seen on the TV for products like Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, Ribena, HSBC & First Direct banks, and Kit Kat.
Advertising is a fast-paced industry. People party hard and work hard. And for a while, I was loving it. I was flying all over the world, I was going to lots of parties. It was bloody brilliant.
However, as time went on I began to rely on alcohol and drugs to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression. I, like so many others, succumb to the condition of addiction. I struggled and struggled, living in a world of debilitating hangovers and denial. I was a high-functioning alcoholic. We’re not all lying on park benches shouting at traffic.
It took me years to finally get help. When I did it took me a long time to trust people and to see how far from the path I had strayed. Looking back I had no idea how bad I was.
My recovery has taken me on a wild and varied journey of discovery. I have learned so much about myself and my mental health. I have learned about neurology, mindfulness, Buddhist philosophy, stoicism, and acceptance. I’ve also left the couch and traveled the world trekking some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Nature has played such a big part in my recovery. You really can’t beat a long walk in the mountains to sort your head out.
And so The Sober Trekker was born. @thesobertrekker
Give a song is a Lewisham community project using live music to connect with isolated and vulnerable members of the community. The project started as a small idea in lockdown 2020 to bring joy to the doorsteps of shielding residents and at the same time offer direction and support to out of work musicians.
Over the course of a year we’ve had amazing support from the local community and funders and we’ve been able to reach over 6000 residents! We now have a team of 26 musicians and regularly play at many local organisations including food banks, care homes and mental health supported living spaces. It’s been quite a whirlwind - our work was even made into a short documentary for BBC1 presented by Mr Motivator! We’ve discovered that the power of music can have a long lasting impact and so far the journey has been magical.