ARTIST RESIDENCY: JEREMY WELLER
Jeremy Weller, Theatre Director
Doneil MacLeod, Practice Mental Health Nurse
Client: Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd. and NHS Lothian
Funded by: NHS Lothian Charity’s Tonic Arts Programme
Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity
Jeremy Weller, the Artistic Director of Grassmarket Projects, a theatre and film company, conceived and directed Where it Hurts, a play that was performed by both NHS staff and members of the city community, rather than trained actors. "It focused on individual lived experiences of longstanding issues of addictions, poverty, depression and suicide attempts. The play ran, to critical acclaim, for three weeks at Summerhall Arts Centre as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Stage rated it as ‘5 stars’ praising it for ‘authentic voices on mental health issues.’
Rehearsals for the play ‘Where it hurts’ directed by Jeremy Weller
“Held together by an over-arching recollection of life in the health service from Steven, a nurse who comes from a family of NHS staff, Where It Hurts shows, with commendable lack of squeamishness, the places where no one wants to go, but many do. And in so doing, it also celebrates the NHS itself.”
“The people I worked with on Where it Hurts feel marginalised and excluded. They kept asking me who would be interested in seeing them perform. My role was to nurture and to help them. I don’t tell them what to say. I ask them what they want to say and work out how to do it. I see it as going on a journey together and we see where we end up. As an artist I’m interested in giving voice and shape to their unique and raw experiences.” – Jeremy Weller, Theatre Director
"What the whole process with Jeremy allowed was to ask the potentially frightening question of, “Who cares?”. It was an exhilarating process to delve into the nitty-gritty of how we engage in that dialogue. The energy from the people involved was amazing. It lit a huge spark and I would love to collaborate with Jeremy further to give more people to have the chance for their voices to be heard and for a different dialogue about care to be created." – Doneil MacLeod, Practice Mental Health Nurse.
