As campaigners from A New Script for Mental Health, we joined panellists across healthcare, mental health advocacy and the arts in a powerful session exploring how kindness can activate creativity and transformation in healthcare. Our presentation, titled Stars Will Shine and Curious Minds Will Find a Way, shared the roots, restoration, and reclamation of our movement — and the healing potential of community, courage and creativity.

We opened with Deirdre’s poem, Calligraphy Care, inviting us to reflect on the power of the arts for healing. Then, we shared the story of the New Script for Mental Health campaign.

Roots: Sara traced the origins of the campaign from the post-Good Friday Agreement era, through the work of Inez McCormack and the founding of PPR, to the community-led mental health movement that grew in response to the North’s suicide crisis. She reminded us of the brutal reality: since 1998, more people have died by suicide in Northern Ireland than during 30 years of conflict. From pain came action — and the call for a New Script.

Restoration: Through powerful testimony, Maura, Grace, Jane, Kirsty and Sean explored how community, creativity and activism helped them find their voices and restore agency. Maura captured the essence: “Creativity saved my life.” The collective experience of storytelling, without shame, stigma or silencing, became a source of strength and solidarity.

Reclamation: Lisa closed by framing this movement as a reclaiming of power. She quoted activist Magz, who said, ‘We are taking back our power by not depending on the system changing but doing it anyway’. From the Rest of the Story writing group to Give 5, the campaign advocates for a paradigm shift, focusing on root causes of poor mental and emotional health, not just symptoms. Lisa reminded the audience: “Healing and transformation grow in spaces of solidarity, shared stories, curiosity and courage.”

Séan brought the session to a close with his poem, Stars Will Shine — a powerful call to keep reaching, imagining and fighting for a better world.

Feedback from Activists

Our group was deeply moved by the event. One activist shared:

“It was powerful, enlightening, informing — igniting the fire within me to move forward. Together we have found the way and we can reach for the stars.”

Another reflected on the global connections made:

“Yesterday gave us the opportunity to get our message across to a wider audience. Mike Wamaya’s work in Kenya, using creative arts with young people, really resonated. We’re all part of something bigger.”

And perhaps most importantly, one person said:

“I felt loved. The group worked so well together — and had fun too. It was like a family.”

In a world that often divides and silences, this event reminded us that kindness, creativity, and collective grassroots action can light the way forward.

To find out more or to get involved in the New Script for Mental Health campaign, click here, or contact Sara Boyce, Organiser on sara@pprproject.org or text 07864074235.