In 2011, semi notorious artist and activist James Leadbitter got distressed, very distressed. Rather than be admitted into the state-run hospital he decided to turn his social housing apartment into a mental health hospital, just by declaring it so. For 28 days he tried to find a creative way of getting through that period of acute mental distress. Here he recounts this journey in a live video diary of what happened.
Disability Arts Online: “The Ship of Fools is a creative, thoughtful and thought-provoking meditation on suicidal states of mind. An intensely moving piece of work, it is at turns darkly humorous and shocking; made with an authenticity and a desire to think about how more effective society could be in supporting individuals in the throes of extreme states of mental distress.”
Bio – the vaccum cleaner
the vacuum cleaner is an art and activism collective of one. Working across forms including performance, installation and film, the vacuum cleaner addresses challenging and taboo issues such as consumerism and mental health. From one man shows to large scale participatory actions, his approach is both subtle and extreme, but always candid, provocative and playful.
the vacuum cleaner’s work has been exhibited throughout the UK, and recent major commissions include Wellcome Collection, Broadmoor Hospital and FACT. Recent international commissions include Festspiele Zürich/Gessnerallee (Zurich) and Vooruit/Dr Guislain Hospital Museum (Ghent).