To celebrate World Mental Health Day, Bauer Media and Alter-Projects have teamed up to launch a campaign involving the creative community to raise awareness of mental health in the UK and raise money for mental health charity Chasing the Stigma. The initiative, part of Bauer Media’s and Chasing the Stigma’s #PledgeKindness campaign, invites artists to post their artworks online – on sale from Saturday 10th October – and encourage people to pledge an act of kindness.

The initiative will culminate with a pop-up exhibition at Mayfair’s Sook Space this Saturday, showcasing a selection of the works for sale from artists including Yuri Suzuki, Rasha Kahil, Bethan Laura Wood and Emily Forgot. Co-curated by Leo Babsky, the physical exhibition will have the theme of ‘Kindness’ and 10% of sales will be donated to Chasing the Stigma.

The digital campaign and exhibition are part of the #PledgeKindness campaign, which asks Brits to do something kind for someone else by ‘pinning’ their pledges to an interactive digital map. The campaign – which sits under Bauer’s long-standing mental health awareness initiative Where’s Your Head At? – aims to collect 10,000 pledges by World Mental Health Day. It has so far been supported by magazines Grazia, heat and Yours, radio stations Magic Radio, KISS, Hits Radio and Absolute Radio, and stars such as Little Mix, Olly Murs, James Bay and Laura Whitmore.

All art on sale will be visible on the #PledgeKindness interactive digital map. In the lead up to the online sales and to the physical exhibition, the artists and designers will be teasing their artwork for sale online, encouraging others to pledge an act of kindness to get a sneak peek. As well as being online, the map will be shown on screens at the exhibition at Sook Space encouraging guests to pledge there in the room. Sook’s revolutionary model transforms traditional retail environments into adaptive spaces by installing a modular digital fit-out that occupiers can design and curate online. Landlord Grosvenor Britain and Ireland has also participated in the initiative; pledging an act of kindness in facilitating the set-up of the Gallery Space.

The interactive digital map has been built in partnership with Chasing the Stigma’s Hub of Hope app; which brings together all the mental health support available to someone in any given area. The Hub of Hope is the only service of its kind that brings together NHS, voluntary, grassroots, private and third sector mental health support details nationally and locally, with over 1,800 services registered and its database growing daily.

Lucie Cave, Creative Editorial Director, Bauer Media said: “We’ve been proactively campaigning for mental health awareness since 2018 and know mental health is even more of an issue this year with coronavirus and lockdown impacting our livelihoods. That’s why we’re so proud to be launching the #PledgeKindness campaign with Chasing the Stigma and work with these incredible artists and Alter Projects to hold this exhibition. Come join us on Saturday, pledge an act of kindness and perhaps leave with a new piece of art for your home!”

Anne Pingreoun, Founder and Curator, Alter-Projects said: “”The opportunity to work alongside Bauer Media was born out of the Global Design Forum panel discussion State of Mind: the Intersection of Design and Mental Health that included Lucie Cave, where we discussed the lack of support for mental health in our industry. Our mission is comprehensively rooted in finding practical solutions to a problem that very much exists today; in the creative industry, and beyond. We wanted to respond to our own call to action, in a sense, and we have found tremendous support from all those involved, especially from the creative industry. This initiative goes to show that positive change is truly viable when communities come together.”

Yuri Suzuki, sound designer and Artist said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this important cause. Mental health is something that must be talked about openly and empathetically, yet so often it is not. ‘Kindness’ is an incredibly apt theme for this exhibition and is a vital communicative tool. I will be selling a signed EZ Record maker for this cause – allowing you to record and share your sounds and memories in a physical format.”

Artists showcasing their works at the exhibition include:

Yuri Suzuki

Rasha Kahil

Sebastian Bergne

Bethan Laura Wood

Emily Forgot

Morag Myerscough

Richard Woods

Orlanda Broom

Theodora Alfredsdottir

Raymond Pettibon

Teresa Eng

Trystan Williams

With more names to be announced later this week…

For more information on the campaign and to pledge a small act of kindness now, please visit https://www.wheresyourheadat.org/

Exhibition Information:

Address: Sook Space – 42 S Molton St, London W1K 5RR

Opening Date: Saturday, 10th October

Opening Hours: 10:00 – 19:00

– ENDS –

For Further Press Information on Bauer Media, please contact: 

Cat Martin (née Macdonald) – Communications Director Bauer Media

E: cat.martin@bauermedia.co.uk

M: 07932746363

Odelia Yu – Senior Commercial Communications Executive, Bauer Media

E: odelia.yu@bauermedia.co.uk

M: 07718124791

About Bauer Media

Bauer Media Group is one of the world’s most successful media companies. We embrace tradition while still keeping our finger on the pulse. Our people create magazines, digital formats, and radio on four continents. With more than 700 magazines, 400 digital products, and 100+ radio stations, we inform and entertain millions of people every day. Simultaneously, we are shaping tomorrow: with investments in online comparison platforms and other young business models, we are setting the course for a successful future as a global multi-business company.

About Chasing the Stigma

Chasing the Stigma is a charity committed to normalising mental health. We make it easy to find help through the Hub of Hope support app, we create an environment of understanding through our Ambassador of Hope training and we campaign for change, every day.

About The Hub of Hope

The Hub of Hope is the UK’s go-to mental health support signposting tool, with more than 1,800 services listed. Since its launch it has directed more than 120,000 people to life changing and life-saving help. It is free to download and use and free for organisations to register their details. Available from the App Store, Play Store and via www.hubofhope.co.uk

About Alter-Projects

Alter-Projects are a new generation multidisciplinary company curating special projects which build unique stories and social experiences for designers, brands, estates and property developers. With a passion for storytelling, design and innovation, they are helping brands find new ways to disrupt and create relevant unique and innovative content with curated creative talents.

Founded by Anne-Laure Pingreoun, Alter-Projects have worked with clients including A/D/O by MINI, Grosvenor Britain and Ireland, LVMH Group, UK Government, Somerset House, London Design Festival, and London Design Biennale, since its inception five years ago.

https://www.alter-projects.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alter-projects-ltd

Instagram: @alterprojects15

About Leo Babsky
Leo Babsky began his career as an artist, and now works as a curator, writer & consultant for both private and corporate collections.

He directed the art program at Century members club between 2015 – 2018, notable exhibitions included a collaboration with The ICA on an exhibition of their Artists’ Editions series and a solo exhibition of prints and editions from the Estate of Sir Eduardo Paolozzi.

Currently, Leo is the artistic director for The Wellington St James’s restaurant and members club, overseeing a collection including works from Damien Hirst, Julian Lennon and Eduardo Paolozzi alongside works from emerging and mid-career artists such as Nick Hornby, Marc Camille Chaimowicz, Haroun Hayward and Rasha Kahil.

He was a jury member for Contemporary Visions 8 at Beers London in 2018.

Creative Partnership projects have included The ICA, Eduardo Paolozzi Foundation, Thames & Hudson, Frestonian Gallery, Workplace Gallery, Lazinc and Renaissance Vodka.

http://www.lbcuratorial.net
Instagram: @lbcuratorial

About Sook Space

Sook transforms empty shops into adaptive spaces, which are rentable by the hour. It does this by installing a modular digital fit-out, which occupiers can design and curate online. The Sook model removes the inefficiencies and cost of a traditional fit-out and allows multiple occupiers to use the space throughout the day. Sook launched its first space in Cambridge with Legal and General in January and launched its latest space on South Molton Street in partnership with Grosvenor at the start of September.

https://www.sook.space
Instagram: @sookspaces

About Grosvenor Britain & Ireland:
Grosvenor Britain & Ireland creates great places where communities, business and nature thrive.  We are part of a global property business that has been developing and managing land and property for over 340 years.

Our heartland is in London’s West End, where we support 9,000 residents, c1000 businesses and 50,000 workers every day. We also create and manage sustainable new neighbourhoods in London and across the South of England.  We think long-term and give equal weight to the social and commercial impact of everything that we do.

www.grosvenor.com
Twitter: @Grosvenor_GBI
Linkedin: Grosvenor Britain and Ireland