Black History Month 2023
Our theme for Black History Month this year is 'Mental health and the arts'.
We’ve been working closely with members, including Dr Chinwe Obinwa, President of the Association of Black Psychiatrists (UK); Dr Dami Ajayi, editor of BJPsych and Muses; students who have joined the new RCPsych Aggrey Burke Fellowship and many others to explore this topic.
Blog posts
- Dr Dami Ajayi – Afrodepression: towards another aesthetic for Black despair
- Oluwamayomikun Ajayi (medical student and one of our Aggrey Burke Fellows) – The arts and art therapy: not a cure, but its benefits can’t be overlooked
Members' webinar
Improving health through creativity (12 October, 4-5pm)
In this webinar, Dr Chinwe Obinwa will lead a discussion on how the arts – not only music, film and television but also theatre, poetry and visual art – has an important role in celebrating and representing Black culture and as a form of therapy, bringing benefits professionally and personally. Speakers will include:
- Dr Tai Ajayi, consultant psychiatrist
- Dr Allison Edwards, consultant psychiatrist
- Dr La Dantai Henriques, Foundation Doctor
- Dr Chuks Nwuba, specialty doctor
- Wesley Quadros, medical student.
More to come
Throughout Black History Month we’re also continuing our efforts to encourage mental health organisations across the UK to sign up to our Act Against Racism campaign.
We’ve already had several NHS Trusts and private sector organisations committing to adopting the actions in our Tackling Racism in the Workplace guidance. These actions will help them reduce racial and intersectional discrimination, improve workplace experiences and aid recruitment and retention.
Look out later this month for:
- a podcast titled 'Equity and Joy at Work' led by Dr Uju Ugochukwu, consultant psychiatrist with Dr Itai Matumbike, consultant forensic psychiatrist and Executive Medical Director at Northamptonshire NHS FT and Dr Mona Lisa-Kwentoh, consultant psychiatrist and Public Relations Officer for the Association of Black Psychiatrists UK, talking about findings from a survey carried out by the Association of Black Psychiatrists (UK) and other insights, and why they think now is the time to Act Against Racism.
- Videos: We will look at how poetry, literature, dance, music and other art forms can play a role in mental health care, and how mental health is represented in the arts.