Collective Power Award 2022 Shortlist

*There are currently 2,879,900 children and young people aged 0-25 who live in London.*

Between November 2021 and May 2022, over 120 people contributed to A Manifesto for 2.8 Million Minds, a youth-led, artist-centred, and Disability Justice-informed approach to how young Londoners want to use art to begin to radically reimagine mental health support, justice and pride.

Responding to a crisis in young people's mental health in the capital, at the centre of the project was the question: "how can young people use art and culture to create change in their mental health, and how mental health services are funded and delivered?"

Launched at the Houses of Parliament in June, the Manifesto is the response. It brings together the feelings, artworks, and actionable ideas of young people across the city with artists Becky Warnock, Simon Tomlinson, Tyreis Holder, and Yomi Sode, challenging how and who makes the decisions in the lives of young people's mental health. More than a Manifesto, the document also shares visions for a future worth living, how-to guides, resources and critical reflections.

The Manifesto represents the first phase of 2.8 Million Minds and is a collaboration between artist and mental health activist 'the vacuum cleaner,' Chisenhale Gallery, Bernie Grant Arts Centre. The project is part of the Mayor of London's Culture and Creative Industries Unit, Funded by Baring Foundation and Thrive LDN as part of Thriving Through Culture.

This project trains potential leaders from the community in facilitation skills via a creative and participatory policy-making approach called Legislative Theatre. Nine local people with various lived experiences – including as refugees/migrants and of homelessness, mental health and/or racism – were trained by an internationally renowned facilitator in Theatre of the Oppressed techniques.

They were also offered advice and crisis support and four accessed support around benefits, housing, food poverty and mental health. The Community Leaders all felt more confident as a result of the training and have since been employed in paid freelance roles by Union Chapel.

They have delivered two online workshops with 30 community members and a Legislative Theatre performance to Zoom audience of 75 people, which included representatives from Islington Council, Arts Council England and local charity partners as well as local community members. This was followed by a Legislative debate, facilitated by the Leaders, with the audience writing 40+ policy proposals, leading to Islington Council making firm commitments around housing and mental health, and ACE making commitments around gender representation in cultural workplaces.