Lunatic Fringe Project

In 2018 we were funded by the Wellcome Trust to:

• Involve people who experience mental distress in researching the causes & effects of their distress, & in implementing recommendations arising from the research
• Lobby policy-makers nationally & locally, & work creatively in diverse partnerships to bring about practical, cost-effective & sustainable change
• Work with a range of Liverpool festivals over 12 months, engaging creatively with diverse communities & using these opportunities to gain expert knowledge about their mental health experiences/support needs. Then, to use this learning to work with communities/partners to design practical responses, tailored to community need.

Festivals & groups that we worked with included:

• Africa Oye & Mary Seacole House
• Beat It! (Katumba)
• DaDaFest
• Healthy Souls Social
• Liverpool Irish Festival & Irish Community Care Merseyside
• Liverpool Pride
• Milapfest
• Sahir House Women’s Group
• WoWFEST

You can find full details of all our activities here: Lunatic Fringe Project 2018 – Public Engagement Report (FINAL PDF, Dec 2018)

Alongside the events & activities, we also carried out some research with communities. Supported by academics from a range of disciplines, we wanted to look more widely at the concept of wellbeing- both with the wider public & in specific communities. We were interested in what people perceived to be the main factors affecting wellbeing, their coping strategies, & the role of the arts & community in their lives. Throughout the year, 502 people responded to our Wellbeing Survey via an online questionnaire, focus groups, & whiteboards & graffiti walls at festivals & events. Here are people’s suggestions for improving wellbeing:

You can find the full Wellbeing Report here: Lunatic Fringe Project 2018 – Wellbeing Research Report (PDF)