It's a very, very mad world..

And I find it kinda funny

I find it kinda sad

The dreams in which I'm dying

Are the best I've ever had

I find it hard to tell you

I find it hard to take

When people run in circles

It's a very, very mad world, mad world- Tears for Fears

If you are in Edinburgh and crave something cerebral I recommend the Mad World Exhibition at St Margaret’s Place. A wonderful free exhibition with meaningful artwork that will make you ponder about the mental health system. Amongst the many things I did over the weekend this made the biggest impact on me.

The exhibition is the perfect place to learn about activism in the radical mental health field for the last thirty years. Abuse in the mental health system is an idea that perhaps not emphasised upon enough this exhibition does just that. It invites the viewer to ponder over the stories of those who have used mental health services, been abused and are now challenging what it means to go through this system.

It was wonderful to see copies of Asylum magazine from the 1980’s; some of the issues raised then are still relevant today. Mental illness is still stigmatised in our society, fears about mentally ill people still colour our judgment. This exhibition helps dispel those notions calling the viewer to listen to stories of people who are more than the labels that were assigned to them.

The lovely Alex Dunedin is more than happy to sit you down and talk about this subject passionately. Sharing his inspiration behind this exhibition and the possibility of more to come. 

I was interviewed at the exhibition and here is the  free podcast interview with Sonia Soans

Here are some photographs of the exhibition.