Yahoo Lifestyle Rap night staged for young people's mental health
Young people in Bradford are being encouraged to share their experience of mental health at a special art event.
Take The Mic Night 2 is an evening of music, rap and spoken-word poetry organised by Nina Piotrowska from the Healthy Minds website run by the Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership.
Free tickets for over-16s are available for the gig on 5 February, to be held at the Common Place in John Street.
Ms Piotrowska said she had "struggled" with her own mental health, and the event would offer a "great way to express yourself".
The care partnership has collaborated with the All Star and Common Wealth organisations and Bradford College to stage the event.
Ms Piotrowska, 22, marketing and communications officer at Healthy Minds, said: "I've struggled with mental health and I've struggled with ways to express it.
"And I think a lot of young people, after the pandemic, we've all gone into our shells a bit.
"I love poetry, music and the arts, and I think it can be a great way to express yourself."
Sarah Derrick, 26, is an actor, film-maker and poet from Bradford who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
She will be reading two of her poems on the night about her experience of living with mental illness.
Ms Derrick said: "A lot of the time people will watch a performance of spoken word or music that is related to a topic, and they see themselves in that.
"So I think it's (Take The Mic Night) great because it starts those conversations that are maybe muted sometimes and that people don't want to talk about."
Bea Mol, 26, who is studying music at Bradford College, will also perform.
She said: "Music has kind of been my happy place.
"Every time I think about my childhood, how my parents always used to play music and how my dad's a DJ and my mum was in a choir.
"Music has always been part of my life and it's just such a beautiful thing.
"It's how I express how I'm feeling because sometimes I just can't speak about it.
"I use music as an amplifier of the feelings I can't actually express."
The inaugural Take The Mic Night was held last May at Bradford College.
Staff from Bradford 2025's Creative Health programme, which is part of the City of Culture year, will be at this year's event.
A short film called Reading Between The Lines created by apprentices at Healthy Minds will also be premiered.
Usman Javaid, 19, who worked on the film will also read an introduction at Take The Mic Night.
He said: "I think a lot of the time we as individuals think we are alone in our struggles.
"This night is all about empowerment and sharing our stories.
"There is power in those stories and when we share them we get that ball rolling for change.
"I want young people to know that they are looked after and cared for.
"And that if they are struggling there are people out there who are going to support them."
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