By Helen Fay
Broadlea Community Centre played host to an International Men’s Day celebration on Monday.
The event, organised by BARCA, featured a men’s digital arts exhibition, food, poetry and live music performed by the Being You Leeds men’s songwriting group.
The free event, which was open to the public, showcased the creativity of local men who attend groups not only to learn new skills but also to socialise. The groups aim to boost mental well-being, reduce isolation and tackle mental health discrimination and stigma.
The Being You Leeds songwriting group kicked off the proceedings with a performance of classic songs including Sunny Afternoon and Sweet Caroline. Next up was spoken word performance poet Chris Singleton.
Chris read his own original poetry dealing with themes of men’s mental health and important men in his life, including his father. Chris’s poetry was both touching and humorous and enjoyed by the audience.
Chris is also a playwright and artistic director of Brave Words CIC. Chris told WLD: “Brave Words are a theatre company, based in Leeds. We’re a not for profit, so we really don’t make any profit on what we do. We work in quite a lot of communities at the minute, including disadvantaged communities for various reasons.”
Brave Words are currently touring with Chris’s play ‘Mutton’, which started it’s run at Leeds Central Library on 13 November and ends on 29th November at Rowland Road WMC in Beeston. Tonight (21 November) the play is on at Interplay Theatre in Armley, a sold out show.
Chris added “We’re looking to do more work with BARCA and establish a regular group here in the centre (Broadlea Community Centre) which is most likely going to be creative writing and poetry. Jonathan Parker from BARCA asked if I’d come down and do some of my poetry today for International Men’s Day.
“I think it’s super important that men are empowered to talk about mental health and I’m very fortunate in that I’ve got a really strong group of male friends who can talk about that stuff with me. I know a lot of men don’t have that, so I wanted to share a little bit about it in the poetry today as well as talking about key men in my life, including my dad.”
After Chris had read his poetry, the Being You Leeds band returned, led by Jonathan Parker, Men’s Health Community Engagement
Worker with BARCA. For their second set, the group played five original songs, two by bassist and harmonica player John Buttery (Thousands of Stars & Long Long Way From Home); two by guitarist Mark Harper (Fake News Blues & The River); and Here I’m Staying by Terry Cannings. The original music was well received by the audience and the event ended on a high note.
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