Oh what a night!!! On the 15th July 2021 we made it ‘back in the room’.
FFive incredible speakers, sharing their stories around the theme of Truth and Triumph - we covered grief, trauma, challenges, personal highs and lows, achievements, victories and pitfalls… with incredible music and lyrical magic from our wonderful local raper Peter (who also helped massively on the night too!)
All the things you can expect from a night of the absolute unknown. What was so wonderful about all our features is that they gave us the gift that literally changes the way we think: they gave themselves. It was EMOTIONAL to say the least!!
It’s impossible to recreate what the night brought but hopefully here you get a small snapshot - we are so FFortunate to have the commitment of Stevan Borthwick our FFantastic photographer who volunteers his time so that we have a lasting memory of the night. www.stevanborthwick.com
Our first speaker of the evening - the FFantastic and talented local abstract artist Laura Hepworth - Sharing grief and creativity: the raw emotions she had experienced through the long and torturous 15 year battle her mum faced with cancer. Laura described how her mums terminal illness led to changes in her work; the loneliness and grief faced during the pandemic when her mum finally lost her battle.
Laura talked about how her work changed in colour and depth and intensity during this time, her work become bolder and fiercer - much bigger than what she was feeling. It helped to open up a creative channel of empathy - a strong reflective territory to how her mum coped for 15 years with her illness.
The hardship of knowing that a parent won’t last the year - someone so selfless, someone so incredibly giving. ‘creativity can be the harness - open space to freely express myself and those that I teach’ Laura expressed that this time taught her so many truths but also how she triumphs every moment of the day by making sure she gives back in a capacity that she knows her mum would do without a second thought.
Thank you so much Laura for sharing such great insights on the changing layered landscapes of your work; how you channeled your raw emotions through your creativity, harnessing those in your community with your truth and working with vulnerable children in your practice to show them creative ways to triumph through their challenges.
Jack - wow a man that has never spoke his truth publicly - ever! He sprung onto the feature spot with such energy and excitement. Jack shared his incredible journey through an eating disorder that started at a very young age with an uncomfortable relationship with food - his chip addiction from childhood that triggered dangerous outcomes throughout his 20’s. When her started to explore a richer food palette, the purging started along with the entrapment of anorexia. Knowing he had an illness that wasn’t openly talked about he felt there was little way out. When he did have the courage to open up about it with a friend he was able to gain the advice much needed. He started to eat healthy and act with it. He replaced his purging euphoria with running, and as part of his journey to living well with food he became a chef. How is this even possible?! Jack is also a chef at the cafe and provided us with an awesome FF burger feast on the night.
Jack shared with us the recent sad news of losing his close friend to suicide. Jack felt a surge to start opening up conversations, to be unapologetic about grief. To find a way to offer support to men who suffer in silence - with this he decided to start a running club in memory of his friend - BOLT - his running club is now three months old and is open to anyone who wants a release through running and the chance to talk about their challenges.
Please do share jacks running club on instagram with anyone who may need support through troubled times and needs a positive outlet. Thanks so much Jack for showing so much courage and sharing your truth, we know this is the start of so much more! what a triumph you have set - we can’t wait to see what happens next for you.
Our third speaker for the evening - Sara, sharing with us her latest achievement of publishing her first book ‘The reading Library’ as part of Sara’s share she resighted a passage from the book that focuses on characters that experience loneliness and isolation but come together through their love of reading. What was so lovely to hear was that through Sara’s journey of creating these fictitious characters she actually learnt through them; opening up her own truths. Sara shared with us the loss of a dear friend in 2012 along with the loss of both grandparents during the pandemic and the loneliness and isolation attached to this grieving process. How we take for granted collective grieving. Sara talked passionately about the importance of community. That community really doesn’t have to be about joining a group; it can merely be every day acts of kindness to strangers which can really be life saving to us. Thank you Sara for sharing so openly and bringing us closer to your book - The Reading Library.
Some of you may remember the FFantastic Peter - FFormally known as Thales. A local raper we thought it would be FFun to bring him on for some interval lyrics but not only that he’s become a FFantastic support to us and we’ve given him an FF title! he’s now our audio technician as we are pretty rubbish with anything in need of a plug! Thank you Peter for all your support on the night.
Our Fourth speaker of the night - The FFantastic Miles @sobertreker - not shy of an audience or a FFew words - what we love about Miles is his incredible FFrankness and truth around his sobriety. I (Helen) FFound Miles via my own sobriety pathway and was so drawn by his 6 years of recovery through his truth and honesty - which he shared on the night.
After spending decades exploring all poisons known to man he decided to break free of the exhaustion that surrounded this person he never wanted to be. In fact his sobriety made him realise he hated parties, actually liked his own company and the volume of drugs and alcohol was masking the real authenticity of his true and some what introverted self. He found escapism, freedom and euphoria from a passion of trekking which remains his choice of therapy.
Miles is an amazing advocate of breaking free from the viscous, relentless and exhausting cycle of substance misuse. Thank you Miles for providing me (Helen) personally with advice I’ll never forget and for showing us all that sobriety should not be feared. Follow Miles @thesobertreker
Our final speaker of the night the FFabulous Chloe - a local singer and musician who during the pandemic came up with the incredible idea of lifting the spirits of residence that were shielding - arriving on doorsteps to sing and perform to them. This was the place ‘Give a Song’ was born. Her incredible community heart shone through on the night - and it’s without a doubt she would have lifted so many people with her talent. It encouraged other musicians and performers to join her, during this time even Mr. Motivator got involved which led to TV coverage. Chloe brought to the evening everything that we want FF to be remembered for - the beauty of community spirit. We were all enthralled by the talent of not only Chloe but two incredibly gifted additional musical artists - Andy (on guitar) and Sulamain (singer).
This man and his incredible vocals!! we were completely BLOWN away by Sulamains talent.
Amazing guitarist Andy
Our now ‘crew’ member Peter
Maya and Helen
Our FFantastic audience
It was emotional!