Its Andrew, once again reporting for Street Team. At this Tuesday’s meeting, we were treated with the opportunity to enjoy an engaging round of the Reach Out Game. It was an awfully close competition, but Sheldon, and I were able to capture the victory. It was quite a fun time, but in all seriousness, it provided Tara with the chance to practise for her upcoming road tour featuring Reach Out Game!

This lighthearted affair was soon followed by an intensely-deep discussion on the interview questions for the artist featured at the Framing of the Phoenix art exhibit on Friday. We ended the meeting with Christina sharing with us an amusing video on Youtube; a parody of Enrique Iglesias’ Hero.

On that note, we adjourned until Friday night, when, Leigh, Tara, Christina and I were present to interview artists whose work has been featured at The Arts Project, London, for the Framing of the Phoenix showcase. This was the event’s third year, and it has enjoyed success as an outlet for raising mental health awareness, and features artists representing the mental health community. The art itself was truly amazing, as were the people who created them; who we got to talk to and get to know for a short period.

The mediums, the messages, the ideas, were varied to an almost endless degree, yet for me, the significance of the event, was perhaps made most plain, by an artist’s free expression during his speech, when he spoke of stigma, and referred to “coming out of the closet”. He then proceeded to unbutton his dress shirt, leaving behind a white t-shirt, with the words “mental patient” emblazoned across his chest. This bold statement, I felt, reflected the need to face stigma head-on, strengthening awareness and understanding, while abandoning denial.