{"id":2240,"date":"2015-06-05T11:40:02","date_gmt":"2015-06-05T10:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodvale.com\/?p=2240"},"modified":"2015-06-05T11:40:02","modified_gmt":"2015-06-05T10:40:02","slug":"21st-century-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/21st-century-story\/","title":{"rendered":"21st Century Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cliveA unique and highly entertaining show in Bridport in June hopes to highlight something that many people don\u2019t want to talk about.
\nThe show\u2019s producer Clive Whaley<\/strong> talked to Fergus Byrne<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A quick-fire wit has been a defensive weapon since humans first learned to mock each other. Traditionally, playground bullies, despotic work colleagues and oppressive busybodies have found it hard to silence what they thought were weaker targets, when a smart answer could render their bullying taunts useless. A quick wit or an ability to entertain often became the ultimate survival technique for those that didn\u2019t fit into the norms expected in school or work, and an ability to make people laugh often got the tormented victim out of a sticky situation.<\/p>\n

Comedians are a great example of those that learned to cope with hecklers, and anyone who has watched a good professional comic deal with an idiot trying to impress his friends will know that there is a phenomenal mental agility to their brain processes. Sadly it\u2019s a mental agility that is often coupled with an emotional anguish, that thanks to the outspokenness of some high profile entertainers, we now accept as a form of mental illness. The highs of rapid-fire processes are often countered by black lows of depression that sufferers simply have no way of controlling or lifting themselves out of. Although depression and the bi-polarity of such mental states have been around for centuries, it\u2019s only recently that our more sophisticated society has been able to identify, express and begin to accept them.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the efforts of people such as writer Stephen Fry, comedian Caroline Aherne and comedian and writer Ruby Wax, a little bit of the misconception associated with depression, bipolar disorder and other forms of this illness is slowly being replaced by an understanding that has been a long time coming. It may be too late for quick-fire wits such as Robin Williams or Tony Hancock\u2014just two of those reputed to have committed suicide because of depression\u2014but their efforts to highlight their problems along with those of many others whose lives are a roller coaster of emotion, have inspired many fellow sufferers to \u2018come out\u2019 about their own illnesses.<\/p>\n

However, despite all the good that celebrities shedding light on their own problems has done, it is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many others who suffer from related, yet different, less effusive forms of depression that don\u2019t fit into the manic mould. There are forms of depression that don\u2019t have the same frenzy of mood swings associated with them that people like comedians Spike Milligan or Tony Slattery displayed. Despite the overall benefit of highlighting mental problems like depression, somehow those with a different form of the illness have become side-lined, if not even slightly tainted by the wild and wacky image that some high profile sufferers display.<\/p>\n

One of those, Bridport filmmaker and songwriter, Clive Whaley, will appear in a show at the Bridport Arts Centre on June 12th that he hopes will help to raise awareness and funding to help people who suffer from a range of mental health problems. His show, 21st Century Blues, is a follow up to the highly successful, Lonely Boys, a musical documentary that he staged at the same venue in 2011 and 2012.
\nSpeaking about his own experiences of depression and his work with the Dorset Mental Health Forum, Clive explained that whilst not wanting to detract from the value of high profile people highlighting their own illnesses, there are many levels of problems that need as much support. \u2018The unfortunate connotation for the uninformed general public is that it makes them think that mental illness is something slightly wacky that happens to eccentric characters\u2019 he says, \u2018when in fact the vast majority of mental illness happens to very, very normal people in very normal circumstances.\u2019<\/p>\n

Clive\u2019s show is a loose collection of films, songs and sketches, all linked by the theme of mental health, but as he admits there are some bits which are \u2018unashamedly breaking from that for entertainment reasons.\u2019 Despite being called 21st Century Blues, the show is neither doom and gloom nor blues centred. It is an evening\u2019s entertainment that Clive confides has light-hearted, \u2018unashamedly poignant\u2019 and \u2018tug at the heartstrings\u2019 moments, but he hopes the underlying theme will reach different people on different levels. \u2018I\u2019d like those people who have suffered from mental illness to feel that they are not alone\u2019 he says. \u2018To feel that they\u2019ve had an element of their experience portrayed authentically.\u2019 He also hopes that the show will help those that haven\u2019t suffered any mental health problems to be much more understanding, sympathetic and accepting of mental illness.<\/p>\n

Clive\u2019s own journey into depression began late in his life. Raised in Stockton-on-Tees in North East England he sang his own brand of satirical songs in front of tough audiences on the local folk circuit before beginning a career in the sports promotion industry. A sports fanatic who successfully competed in both European and UK windsurfing competitions, Clive moved to work in an office of the Sports Council in Crewkerne and settled in the South West with his wife and children. After editing a family holiday video he found himself drawn to the world of film making and began a new career travelling around the UK making case study films for a Sports promotion company. A film he later made about Dorset farmer and Falklands War veteran Jim Armstrong, Dorset Days: A Year in the life of Longhorn Jim, was picked up by BBC4 and Clive found himself pursuing a full-time career as a filmmaker. Unfortunately, work dried up and what he called a \u2018unique set of circumstances\u2019 combined with an unhappy marriage, his children leaving home and the onset of a milestone birthday led him to lose confidence and eventually sink into depression.<\/p>\n

\u2018Basically I couldn\u2019t function\u2019 recalled Clive. Eventually, he went to his GP who diagnosed depression and gave him three choices; anti-depressants, computer-based therapy or one-to-one therapy. \u2018The idea of going on medication was anathema to me\u2019 he says, \u2018but I ended up going back to them three weeks later and saying \u201cgive me the bloody tablets.\u201d\u2019 Finding the anti-depressants didn\u2019t help he sank deeper into an emotional quagmire where his lack of self-confidence and loss of self-esteem made even simple tasks practically impossible. \u2018My self-esteem and my future aspirations and hope were so much geared around having a decent job\u2019 he explained. He found that reaching fifty, being out of work, as well as depressed, had a domino effect. \u2018And there\u2019s a rational side to that\u2019 he explained. \u2018If you\u2019re a bloke over fifty it\u2019s much more difficult to get a job and if you\u2019re over fifty and you\u2019ve had depression and you admit that in an interview, although it\u2019s not supposed to make a difference, of course, it does\u2014unless you\u2019ve got a really enlightened employer or somebody who\u2019s been there themselves.\u2019 He began to work part-time for the Dorset Mental Health Forum, setting up the Bridport peer support group and using his own experiences to help others. He did eventually find an enlightened employer and now has a job with low vision charity the Macular Society as a Regional Support and Development Manager.<\/p>\n

Clive\u2019s story of depression is echoed by millions of people throughout the country. And that includes people that no one would suspect of suffering. Official spokesman and director of communications and strategy for the Labour Party from 1994 to 2003, Alastair Campbell, would seem an unlikely person to suffer from depression. However in his 2012 book The Happy Depressive he explains that his life is split into \u2018bad days\u2019 and \u2018not so bad days\u2019. When depressed he feels no desire to connect with other people and as a sports fan finds that the one thing that he knows will help him rise above his depression, physical exercise becomes impossible. He says his curiosity and interest in the world around him vanishes. Promoting the theory that government policy should focus on the general wellbeing and happiness of its people, Campbell described his own experience as a \u2018horrible illness for which there is not enough understanding.\u2019 He explained that problems of the mind are no respecter of wealth, race, profession or lifestyle and can happen to anyone.<\/p>\n

Pointing out that Winston Churchill was also known to suffer bouts of depression, Clive Whaley explains that 21st Century Blues has another goal. \u2018I\u2019ve never wanted people to think I am weak but that\u2019s how I felt when I had depression\u2019 he says. \u2018That\u2019s another part of my agenda\u2014to say that you are not weak. In fact, some incredibly strong people have suffered from depression. Alastair Campbell and of course Winston Churchill the ultimate wartime leader, the British bulldog.\u2019 It takes courage to speak out about a mental illness, especially when the public perception can be so lost in an era depicted by men in white coats and electrotherapy. However, Clive sees beyond the bravery. There is a personal element that actually contributes positively to his own state of mind. \u2018Some people will say you\u2019re incredibly brave to do this sort of thing\u2019 he says. \u2018And I know that\u2019s well-meaning but it makes me cringe a bit because I think there is an egotistical thing around it\u2014there\u2019s a showing-off element.\u2019 He admits part of him is saying, \u2018Here\u2019s these films I\u2019ve made and these songs I\u2019ve written and I want you to like them. But then there\u2019s another side of me saying why on earth am I putting myself through all of this stress, potential criticism and baring my soul\u2014for what end? Yes the end is awareness and fundraising for mental health, but there\u2019s that personal, egotistical thing that I hope people will like it and I\u2019m getting something off my chest.\u2019 It\u2019s a refreshing honesty that one hopes can offer inspiration to others.<\/p>\n

Apart from Clive\u2019s own songs, films and performance, 21st Century Blues will feature local Heron keyboard player and producer Steve Jones as its musical director. Under their name, \u2018Unexpected Duo\u2019, Steve and vocalist Chloe Evans-Lippett will perform songs from their album Songbird and there will also be surprise guests during the evening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A unique and highly entertaining show in Bridport in June hopes to highlight something that many people don\u2019t want to talk about. The show\u2019s producer Clive Whaley talked to Fergus Byrne A quick-fire wit has been a defensive weapon since humans first learned to mock each other. Traditionally, playground bullies, despotic work colleagues and oppressive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,15],"tags":[13],"class_list":["post-2240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","category-features","tag-fergus-byrne"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2240"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2240\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}