'Theatre is a powerful, transformational, therapeutic tool.'

The power of Stepping Out Theatre

By Tabitha Peverley

Hunters. Gatherers. photo by Jonathan Rowley

It's been 13 years since Charlie Ekpaloba last had a hospital admission relating to her mental illness.

Having been part of Stepping Out Theatre Company since 2001, Charlie has found a safe place to be herself without having to worry about what people think of her mental illness. She isn't alone. Stepping Out are a family, filled with all the weird and wonderful relatives you can think of.

Mime wth Les Bubb, photo by Tabitha Peverley

Based in the heart of Bristol, the company has been running for over 20 years. One of those people they've helped is Charlie, a particularly talkative but warm individual who wouldn't let anyone else get a word in! "With Stepping Out I get to do things I'd only dreamt about. I think Stepping Out is a really good forum for people." She's had a few "wobbly days" but with Stepping Out she gets the support she needs, from people who understand her.

Stepping Out is a company for people who suffer from mental health issues but don't get regular access to mental health care professionals. They give the performers something to focus on - performing throughout the year it gives them a chance to feel as though they are contributing positively to the community. Project Co-ordinator for Stepping Out, Steve Hennessy has an idea about why Stepping Out has worked so well for the past 20 years. "Our group is built on building relationships, that's why it works. If you connect people with each other, they will be happier."

All of Stepping Out's plays have a mental health theme, which allows the performers to form a proper connection to the play and give it their all. They are also filled with weird and wonderful characters, not unlike Stepping Out itself. "There's a lot of strange characters in Stepping Out and it's one of the nicest things about the mental health world is that it tolerates difference and eccentricity and I think there's a lesson for everyone in that," says Gareth Pitt, a Stepping Out-er of four years. Gareth became involved in the group when a mutual friend asked him if he'd help chaperone one of the performers who had trouble getting on and off stage for their cues. He's seen how important Stepping Out is to the community, due to the lack of mental health services. "One of the problems with being a mental health servicer user, or one of the major ones, I would say is isolation."

Now that there are less day centres for mental health service users to go to for support, few community psychiatric nurses, and an over-reliance on medications, groups such as Stepping Out, who operate in the heart of the community, are all the more important. Paige Walmsley, a 22-year-old graduate from Sunderland, knows just how problematic the system can be. "I am still in the process of being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It is a vicious cycle of being referred to the appropriate clinic by doctors and therapists and then being referred back to the doctors because the medics at the clinic think I am too young to be diagnosed." Luckily Paige says she has found her own ways of taking care of her mental health while waiting for the correct prescription. She is training to be an art therapist herself, as well as volunteering at her local cafe and as an art coach. "I do things that make me feel wanted, happy, and useful so that I know I'm being the best person I can be at this point in time."

Hunters. Gatherers. photo Jonathan Rowley

Hunters. Gatherers. photo by Jonathan Rowley

Mime with Les Bubb, photo by Tabitha Peverley

Paige Walmsley volunteering at Refuse Cafe in Chester-le-Street. photo taken by a member of Refuse staff

Like riding a bike, a mime workshop with Les Bubb. Video shot by Tabitha Peverley

However, not everyone is able to access such services or has found a group that allows them to cope with their mental health issues.

Ellie Matthews, 23 from Sunderland, suffers from anxiety and depression. While she has been on medication for her mental health issues in the past, and has previously worked with her local mental health team she thinks more awareness of groups such as Stepping Out is needed. "I definitely think it should be mentioned more in doctor's maybe." She does use music as a way of coping with her anxiety and depression though as, in her own words, "it can sometimes help lift my mood."

Hunters. Gatherers. photo by Jonathan Rowley

Groups like Stepping Out are important to the community, and professionals are beginning to recognise this.

Community based groups such as Stepping Out fall under a category known as social prescribing, where people suffering from poor mental health issues can be referred to these more creative, informal, therapy groups in order to improve their mental health. For the Stepping Out-ers, it was about time that this vital community service was recognised. "There's not enough provisions for the arts, for counselling therapy, all kinds of holistic approaches. We are a tiny fraction of the cost." says Steve. Gareth added, "people need compassion and they need to be listened to and understood."

That is exactly what Stepping Out provide for people - a place to be listened to, to be understood. A place where they can completely be themselves, at one with their mental health issues and not be viewed as weird. At Stepping Out, every single person is unique, and that is what makes them so special.

For information about Stepping Out, visit their website: https://www.steppingouttheatre.co.uk/