Mental Wealth (2006)

Location: UK

Project Background

Project Manager: Tiffany Fairey
Funding Partner: United Response
PhotoVoice Facilitators: Tiffany Fairey

Over the last sessions many films were taken, pictures were mounted onto paper and captions were written that described pain, courage, hope, happiness and a willingness to say proudly, ‘Yes, we have a mental health illness but we are no different to anyone else’. I was totally shocked at how a photograph in a person’s hand would enable someone who finds public speaking impossible to stand in front of a group and speak confidently about their very personal fight with the illness that they have…
PhotoVoice, in my opinion, has made and can continue to make fundamental changes in people’s lives.

Phillip Stone, Support Worker, United Response

Project photo gallery

Meet the Photographers

Go here to read more about the photographers

Further project info

In March 2005, PhotoVoice worked with United Response and a group of seven of their beneficiaries with mental health needs from UR services in Dorset, West Sussex and Kent. The aim of the project was to harness the power of photography as a creative medium, and to produce a set of images to communicate the reality of daily life from the perspective of a person with mental health needs.

The series of six workshops ignited imagination and awareness of individual hopes and fears. It resulted in a breath-taking wealth of images and testimonies that clearly communicate individual hopes, fears and achievements – a compelling backdrop to current developments in mental health legislation. The images explored the stigma of living with a mental health need, but also explored what makes life worth living. In addition, each photographer created a self-portrait, which in many cases showed a very personal journey towards greater self-understanding.

The workshops culminated in an exhibition at The House Of Commons in May 2005 which aimed to raise awareness of some of the key issues facing people with mental health needs, particularly in the context of proposed new Mental Health legislation, and to highlight these to MPs and policy makers.

The parliamentary event was a great success. The photography project was designed to raise awareness of the reality of living with a mental health need, and it succeeded in this. But what no one expected were the profound therapeutic benefits it brought to participants – literally liberating people in several instances.
Mental Wealth outcomes

Knowing that their work would be showcased to an audience, people used the experience of taking part in something ‘bigger than themselves’ to overcome individual problems.
One participant wrote articles for two publications about the project and for the House of Commons
Five participants have enrolled on photography courses.
One participant has used the money he receives for respite care to fund a residential catering course, aiming to return to employment.
One man’s participation helped him overcome a chronic phobia concerning his appearance. He delivered a presentation to UR trustees about the value of the pilot project, travelling alone on a bus for the first time.
Five participants said the project personally achieved more than months of counselling or medication in terms of building confidence and self esteem.