‘Psychiatrists are Mad’: The Mental Health Exhibitions on at The Wellcome Collection

Black people in the UK face systemic barriers to accessing mental health support when seeking it voluntarily and yet are four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act.

At the Wellcome Collection, Rudy Loewe’s Intimacies of Care - spaces of grief and possibility exhibition responds to these statistics and explores histories of resistance and African and Caribbean spiritual practice.

This exhibition draws on workshops focused on experiences of accessing mental healthcare, grief caused by unmet needs and forms of care rooted in spiritual and community-led practices.

There is also a second exhibition called The Surviving Exhibitions displaying Audrey Amiss’ artwork. She was an artist who campaigned for reforms to the mental health system, attending demonstrations and writing to policymakers. She left the Royal Academy of Arts in London after experiencing a breakdown and was detained in units at least 11 times between the 1950s and 2000s.

The Surviving Exhibitions attempts to assemble as much of her artwork as possible, amplifying the message of a talented artist dedicated to advocating for justice.

So, if you are mentally ill or just interested in mental health campaigning and reform, go and visit these exhibitions. 

Watch my Instagram reel about it here.

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