Arts & Culture
Comedian throws spotlight on mental health

Direct from sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows, comedian Juliette Burton is heading to Swindon to help launch a World Mental Health Day event for Swindon’s youth groups, before performing her inspiring stand-up show, Butterfly Effect at Swindon Arts Centre.

World Mental Health Day, which falls on Wednesday 10th October, is being embraced by various Swindon organisations in a bid to pull focus on the areas of mental health that affect our town, including male suicide, isolation, new mothers and young people. Local businesses and residents are being asked to make a pledge of kindness for the 10th of October and beyond, an act however big or small that might benefit those around them - an idea that Juliette Burton echoes with her #daretobekind campaign.

“In my show I ask my audiences to write ideas for ways you can be kind to someone on a piece of paper. You are then daring audiences at future shows to do that random act of kindness. You’re giving them inspiration and a DARE to be kind. I want people to let me know how they get on, get in touch with me, get in touch with each other to say “I did this dare, this is how great it was or scary or exciting”. I want to see evidence of kindness in the world and I want to share it with my followers. Let’s get this Mexican wave of kindness going across the country - from city to city, town to town, let’s prove the power small acts of kindness can have and let’s connect strangers who might just become friends.”

Not only an award-winning comedian, writer and presenter, Juliette is an ambassador for Mind and Rethink mental health charities and speaks openly about her own experiences of mental health, “I’ve struggled with mental illness in my life. I’ve been in hospital 5 times and sectioned under the mental health act.”Now, with an unquestionable zest for life, Juliette is using comedy to break down barriers and increase understanding, believing that if we’re laughing together, we feel less alone.

Having sold out every single day at the Edinburgh Fringe for the last 2 years, Butterfly Effect comes to Swindon Arts Centre for one night only and asks, ultimately, is being ‘nice’ outdated? It’s not all butterflies and sweet sentiments though, with plenty of cheekiness, naughty bits and intelligent humour, this is a show for everyone who’s had a bad day, week or year and is ready to laugh about it. With the show also raising money for the charity Mind, booking tickets to see Juliette could be your #daretobekind in itself!

Charlie Paradise, Public Mental Health Coordinator for Swindon adds “It’s great to see the Wyvern Theatre and Swindon Arts Centre embracing the mental health agenda in Swindon. Things like this help us reduce stigma and reach a wider audience to support more local people to look after their mental wellbeing. Juliette’s story is really powerful and it’s great to have her backing our campaign at a local level.”

If you or your workplace can dare to be kind, you can find out more about making a pledge at www.bit.ly/WorldMentalHealthDaySwindon - we dare you.

Juliette Burton performs Butterfly Effect at Swindon Arts Centre in Old Town on Wed 10 October, for more information and to book tickets visit swindontheatres.co.uk or call Ticket Office on 01793 524481.