Meet the Mancunian-7.10-Zac Blinston transcript

Intro

Hello, and a warm Mancunian welcome to you today. I'm Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe, your host, and it's an honour to share Season 7 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast: social impact stories from Manchester with you.

This season is all about celebrating the stories of our local changemakers and the profound social impact they are creating. Every Tuesday, I shine a spotlight on the incredible individuals weaving the fabric of our community. From grassroots heroes to local legends, their stories are the soul of Manchester.

Whether you're tuning in on Apple, Spotify, Google or www.meetthemancunian.co.uk. Get ready for a season that showcases the incredible social impact within our community.

Welcome to the 10th episode of Season 7 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast: social impact stories from Manchester.

Passionate about mental health? We hear from Zac Blinston, founder, Mental Rebellion Theatre, in this episode.

Episode 7.10

[00:01:09] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I'm delighted to introduce my guest, Zac Blinston. Artistic Director, Mental Rebellion Theatre. Thank you so much for taking the time today, Zac.

[00:01:18] Zac Blinston: Hi Deepa, thank you very much for having me on the podcast. I'm originally from Denton in Manchester, sunny Manchester. And I now live in Holmfirth, which is just over the Pennines in West Yorkshire, very much bringing my Mancunian spirit to West Yorkshire.

[00:01:36] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Brilliant.

The Birth of Mental Rebellion Theatre

[00:01:37] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Zac, first tell us about how you found your passion for supporting mental health in the community. Where did that come from?

[00:01:43] Zac Blinston: I'm in recovery from alcoholism. I was an actor when I was a younger man. So, I trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama after doing a college course at Shena Simon in Manchester. And then I was a jobbing actor for a while and alcohol held me back quite a lot.

What I didn't know was that I used alcohol to self-medicate a mental health condition that I didn't know I had, which turned out to be bipolar. I became a primary school teacher, so I worked as a primary school teacher in Greater Manchester for 10 years. And I absolutely loved the work that I did with the young people. I used to work in schools that very much like my own upbringing were in socially deprived areas, so low socio-economic areas of Tameside and other areas of Greater Manchester.

Alcohol caught up with me in a huge way towards the end of that 10-year career as a teacher and I ended up having to come out of teaching and my life was on hold for a very short period of time. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to turn to. I managed to get to Alcoholics Anonymous, get myself a sponsor, who is someone who takes you through the program of recovery and supports you.

And I got myself to a really good place. And from there, that moment of devastation where I had to come out of a career that I'd worked extremely hard to get into. I was the first person in my family to go to university and get a degree. And then I went on to get my PGCE (Postgraduate certificate in education). It was a lot that I lost at that point, but there was a lot more that I could have lost.

Thankfully, I didn't. Partner stayed with me and supported me. And from there, I was wondering what on earth I could do. It was actually during the Covid lockdown, I decided, and I'd had this idea in my head for many years about forming a theatre group that was for the people, by the people, about the people. Very influenced by people like Augusto Boal who is a South American theatre practitioner, the father of Forum Theatre, Joan Littlewood, who was a lady who ran the Theatre Workshop in London in the 1960s.

And just an idea that I wanted to help myself because I was struggling with my mental health, struggling to come to terms with my diagnosis of bipolar and what to do next. Where do I go next? And certainly with recovery, what is my life going to look like without alcohol and other substances to prop me up?

Mental Rebellion was born out of a really devastating situation. I think that we can, people do recover and they do bounce back from horrendous things that can happen to them in their lives. And actually, in a strange way, I'm almost happy that those negative things happened. They made me realise that I wasn't really happy that 10-year period that I was teaching.

The only time I felt like I was making a difference, was when I was doing theatre with the kids, when I was doing the drama activities, when I was putting drama into the curriculum and when I was directing school plays. It was always something, a burning passion that I wanted to go back into acting and directing and writing. I've done quite a bit of writing as well since I got into recovery.

[00:05:34] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thanks so much for sharing that, Zac. And, it sounds like you've taken that difficult time of going through recovery, having the sponsor and finding the support to make something really good of it. And it's a really good, inspiring message for all of our listeners to be aware of that people can recover from what looks like at that point a very turbulent time, but there are good things ahead. Thank you for sharing that.

Empowering Through Theatre: Mental Rebellion's Mission

[00:05:59] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Tell us more about Mental Rebellion Theatre. How did you get involved? You said you always had that bug for acting, writing, directing.

[00:06:09] Zac Blinston: Mental Rebellion is a community theatre company, and we work with people in recovery from addiction and or a mental health condition. We have around 20 actors who are members and we put on workshops to work on people's self-esteem. We like to create a safe environment where it's not about being the best actor in the world. Some of the talent that is on display, when you scratch beneath the surface of someone who's never felt valued, someone who's been through trauma, there's wonderful acting because it is real. They can draw on their own experiences.

[00:06:51] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much for sharing that.

One part of what Mental Rebellion Theatre Company is doing is, like you said, providing self-esteem and helping people on the journey. How is it that you interact with people outside the community of the actors who are a part of Mental Rebellion Theatre Company.

Tackling Social Issues: The Housing Crisis Project

[00:07:14] Zac Blinston: We bring our performances to local audiences. We've got a project that's in development at the moment, called ‘Papering Over the Cracks’. What we're doing is making something new and vibrant, but also something that enlightens, educates, and entertains our audience. So, choose social issues that we want to highlight. time round, we've chose the housing crisis, and we're going to be focusing on that.

The first part of our project is getting out and about speaking to people who have got experience of what happened, where did this housing crisis come from, how are third sector community organisations, dealing with the strain that's being put on them. It's going to be a verbatim piece, so we're going to actually be using the words of the people we interview in the piece of theatre that we're going to put together. Papering It Over the Cracks will be on at Salford Arts Theatre in July, on Friday the 12th, and Saturday the 13th of July.

And was reading recently that the top five rich men in the world, who are all multi billionaires, wealth has more than doubled in the last five years. It's just horrendous. I just think the reason why poverty exists is because we have people who hoard wealth.

[00:08:40] Zac Blinston: So in our theatre, we are a group that have been affected by addiction and mental health, don't just focus on those things because there's broader issues that society is affected by. The next project that we do is Papering Over the Cracks. And we hope to expose the crisis the housing sector in the UK currently.

[00:09:04] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much for sharing that, Zac, and it's really an important issue about, the lack of good, safe housing for so many people, and I know homelessness is a real issue with very many guests working in the sector. And it's a really significant crisis. Papering over the Cracks sounds really interesting. I love that you're using verbatims, real stories, to demonstrate how significant the crisis is and highlights potential solutions.

Overcoming Challenges and Making an Impact

[00:09:33] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Tell us a little bit about the challenges you've had to face and overcome over this journey of setting up Mental Rebellion Theatre company.

[00:09:41] Zac Blinston: The first challenge is me and my own head. Because anyone who's ever struggled with mental health will know that, particularly bipolar, when you're on a more hypomanic stage, when the creativity is flowing and ideas are just bursting out of you, you're ringing people, you're emailing people, you're setting things up.

I've had to learn to be kind to my future self. I'm not always able to fulfil those things later on down the line. I've been able to at my bipolar and pinpoint I think things might take a downward turn and when I might become more depressed. This period of time now coming into February is when I re-emerge from almost like a hibernation period.

I've learned that during the November, December, January months, I don't really do very much with the theatre company because I have a little bit of a hiatus. I take time to spend time with my family. I've got three beautiful daughters who are 14, and 2, and a gorgeous partner who I spend time with and try and put my efforts into that because they sacrifice my time of a weekend, especially when I'm in a production, if we're in the throes of a full production. Dad's working all day long and then weekends and evenings he's doing his theatre stuff.

I think knowing own mental health and the challenges that, that I face. When I'm on a more downward turn, my self-esteem goes as well. So I start thinking, did you start this? What's the point? You can't do this. You're not good enough. There was a reason why you didn't act for so many years, or you didn't direct for so many years. I have that negative self-talk that I have to battle with. One of the greatest things I've learned in my recovery, and in my time in theatre and acting, is acceptance is the key.

There's something called acceptance and commitment therapy that in my day job, I work with people in recovery for facilitating groups that, that help people overcome addictions. And one of the things that I've adopted myself is acceptance and commitment therapy.

When I got negative thoughts, it was almost like, do you know those games in the arcade, the Whack A Mole, where the head pops up and you have to whack it? That was what my negative thoughts were like. And I spent all my time focusing on whacking these mental, these negative mental images and thoughts out of my head. But if you're doing that, even if you are battling it, you are only focusing on those negatives.

There's an idea that you imagine your brain a bit like a bus and that you're going to hear these passengers getting on. Some are going to be louder than others. And obviously you've got allow those negative thoughts to actually sit there. And If you work on it, they will fade to the background and they'll sit at the back of the bus and you'll have, the driver will be the positive thoughts. Can do this. Look at how far you've come.

Acceptance has been key to me. what I'm doing in the moment, in the present. When I drank alcohol, I was never present in the present moment. I was always either depressed and harking back to my childhood and traumas and bad memories, or I was fast forwarding into the future. What's going to happen next? That anxiety and depression was so raw that I couldn't live in the present moment, would do anything by taking a substance. I'll put alcohol into my body to anything just to escape from me for a moment.

And I think a lot of people who struggle with substances will relate to that. That feeling of, I just want to escape from me. Even if it is for a few hours and cope with the consequences later. So, I've had to accept that there are certain challenges for me personally. I also tried to do it all myself when I first started out in 2020. I wanted to act in it, I wanted to direct, I wanted to write it.

And I learned to get other people on board. Now we've got a real strong committee of people who have got varied skills, and I don't have to do it all on my own. You can't do recovery on your own, but I don't think you can do life on your own. We are built to be social creatures and we've all got our failings, but we've all got our plus points.

And if you can get a group of people, even if it's a very small group of people, one or two people that you trust around you, who have got different skills. I'm Mr. Creative and I'll have these mad ideas and then someone like my friend Danny, he'll say wait a minute, what about, pull me back a little bit. Whoa. What about the practicalities of this? Having the right people around you to support you is it's absolutely vital.

Funding, one of the scariest things for me, the F word. And I don't mean that one. Where do we get the pennies to do this from? So, I'm trying to broaden my skillset, but also, use what I've got around me.

[00:14:55] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much, Zac, for sharing so many aspects of your challenges. And particularly the one that struck me was being kind to your future self. Thinking about the fact that there's going to be good days and bad days, and that's okay, and that's part of the acceptance.

And then I also like the one about, the wisdom of crowds, of the power of good people around you who can support you and take key roles, and you don't have to do it all, and I think that's something that even the podcast has taught me, the power of collaboration, as I hear from so many guests.

My next question for you is, what's the impact you would say you've made?

[00:15:32] Zac Blinston: I think more broadly, if we look at the last project we did, was called ‘Pre-loved’, was an idea that I'd had in my head for a long time, going back to when I had to do some community service in a charity shop in Ashton-under-Lyne. I was doing a lot of mindfulness while I was doing the community service. One of the things was, anything you have to do, even if it's an onerous task, try and enjoy it. I was just taking in my surroundings, and these characters were being written in front of my eyes.

We had the idea of the storyline, we had some issues we wanted to bring up, and in Pre-loved there was quite a lot. We looked at one of the characters Dolan had come through the care system. I watched a heart wrenching documentary on BBC about care leavers. And that's really stuck with me. And I was like, what happens to these young people who have been through so much when they get to 18? And it's quite that they're left to it.

Once they turn 18, it's see you later. That's you. You're a man off you go. So we looked at that issue. also looked at issue of the erosion of social cohesion. Where I was brought up in Denton, everyone knew everyone and, you could pop across the street to Mrs. Wimperney and she'd give you a couple of biscuits and a cup of orange. And, I remember falling over and breaking my leg and Doris and John from next door took me to the hospital. All these people that were looking out for each other and it's become very individualised.

We're very much in our own boxes, in front of boxes, whether they're TVs or laptops or smartphones. We're the most connected with it ever been as a society in terms of things like this technology. I can, join you on this call right now through the power of technology, and there's some great things that technology can don't get me wrong, but it scares me.

It scares me that the community is being eroded. So that's why it's so important to do things that are creative, that is, whether it's doing art or whether it's doing or line dancing, or whether it's doing something like we do with theatre, exercising that creative part of your brain is just so vital. Another issue we looked at was it would be like to be LGBTQ and also be a police officer. We had a character called PC Broadbent who wasn't out to the community. It was a great scene where they have a charity auction with the local MP, Michael Grange. And then in bursts, Ms. Ginger Nuts, in drag, to everyone's amazement.

They're like, Is that PC Broadbent? It was PC Broadbent. So we managed to squeeze quite a lot of issues in there. That was really important to the people that were in the project, the actors that took part. Because, one of the people who took part is very passionate about LGBTQ plus rights, and wanted to put that into it.

Even though I didn't write the actual script Caroline wrote the script. The idea was conceived by me, but then the characters were developed, week on week in our workshops, which made it, rich and so layered and textured that we'd had these three dimensional characters then the cherry on the top was getting Caroline in write the marvellous script and it was such a brilliant collaboration.

The impact has been huge on the people. All the actors who were in that are still with us and we're adding to that all the time. We've got three new recruits who are coming along to our theatre and recovery workshops. And I always go back to CJ though because seeing that person that was just too nervous to even say hello and be in the room for more than two minutes, then watching them perform a monologue in front of a hundred and twenty people without skipping a beat or stumbling over a word. It's got to be one of my biggest achievements and one of Mental Rebellion's biggest achievements.

So for me, when I started this, that's what it was all about. It wasn't just about me, by-products of this is yes, that I get a creative outlet and that, I've created an arena where I'm able to get back into acting. It's not just about that. It's about sharing that and bigging up the other people in the group.

[00:20:13] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you for sharing that, Zac, and that does sound like a lot of impact. And I love that there's individual people who have got so much out of it. The power of all of us, as we say you're creating these wonderful plays to shine a light on important causes like LGBTQ or any of the other causes that you, pick up in your plays.

This is where you can talk about how do interested people reach out to you and learn more.

[00:20:40] Zac Blinston: You can go to our website, it's www.mentalrebelliontheatre. org. Or you can get us on Instagram. We're at mental underscore And you can get us on Facebook, just type in Mental Rebellion.

[00:20:59] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you for sharing that.

What advice would you have for people looking to start a similar movement in their local community? There's people from all over the world listening. So how do they get started?

[00:21:10] Zac Blinston: I don't give advice by the way, I give suggestions. I'd suggest that you start small. Every oak tree started off as an acorn. So start small, get the right people around you who've got similar goals, but maybe diverse talents and skills. Get at least one or two people who are with you on this journey from the start. Talk about it loads, for weeks. Talk about it. Get a big piece of paper and start making some notes who you want to help. How are you going to help them? How is this going to come about?

And then think about where you're going to hold this event. Is it something that you can do online? if so, how are you going to facilitate that? Is it something that you can go to your local community centre? Can you go to your local pub if that's appropriate? And see if they've got a spare room? I was always told, you don't ask, you don't get. And if you don't get, don't sulk. Just ask. What's the worst that can happen? I would always ask yourself, what's the worst that could happen? And that might just see you through, because what's the worst that can happen?

Someone says, no thanks, and you feel a little bit wounded. I'd say, ask lots of people, lots of things, and move on if they don't, if they're not forthcoming with it. And build from there. if you just help one person, then you will have achieved something. We think, oh, I need this to be for 30, 40, 50 people. It doesn't need to be that, if you and a friend decide you want to do an arts project Help young people with disabilities. Get one person who you can help first and then build on it.

And the other thing is no idea is stupid. If you've got an idea, and someone tells you it's stupid, and you believe in it, just ignore that person. Just don't believe the doubters. Get the people around you who are going in the same direction and believe in the same things.

I'd also say get in tune with your values. I think it's really important to get an idea of, first of all, personally, who are you? What are you about? Get an idea of what you're about as a person, what the person or persons you're going to be dragging along for the ride are in terms of their values and try and put them all into a melting pot.

I think it was Elvis Presley who said, values are like fingerprints. You leave them over everything you do.

Have some aims as well. Start off with one main aim. And think about who you're influenced by. about, is there someone out there doing something similar? And if they are, either get in touch with them and ask them, Hey, how did you get started doing this? It might be someone in a different part of the country who's doing exactly the sort of thing you want to do. Borrow ideas. It's fine.

And be brave. That's the main thing. Be brave. You are going to have moments where you think, oh my god, why have I started this? But if you always go back to those values and those aims Ah, that's why I'm doing it.

[00:24:19] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Really good suggestions. I really like the one about values and, objectives, being very clear with that. And also, coming back to collaboration, how do you borrow ideas? How do you build together? How do you find common interests with your co creators? Which is so important. And it can be lonely, so it's good to have co creators as well.

[00:24:43] Zac Blinston: Definitely.

Upcoming Projects and Collaborations

[00:24:44] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: An opportunity now for you to talk about anything I haven't asked you about, anything coming up in the next few months, or any shout outs.

[00:24:52] Zac Blinston: We've got the Papering Over the Cracks project, which you'll be able to follow the progress on our socials and on the website. That collaboration and that project is now underway. We're going to be working with Connor as well from Uncle Media. He's starting out a media business, so he's going to come and do some filming, and he does offer actors very reasonably rates for show reels.

So if you're an actor, you'll know that the industry's changed quite a lot. That was something I had to get my head around because I was away from the industry for about 12 years. And I came back, I was like, Oh, oh, you don't have to go to an audition in person anymore. You have to send your showreel. I'm going to be getting a showreel done in the next couple of months. And Connor's a really enthusiastic guy from Salford.

Just look out for future projects. We have got theatre and recovery sessions happening. They're just outside Greater Manchester though, they're in Huddersfield, but it's only a train ride away. And get in touch. Because if you've got a venue that you would like to see Papering over the cracks at, maybe it's a third sector organisation to do with housing or to do with homelessness, get in touch with us. We'd love to collaborate. That's the message I want to say to people out there.

World is full of opportunities to collaborate and work together. There are too many people in this world who enjoy keeping the blinkers on and hoarding creativity for themselves. Share it.

[00:26:31] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you very much for sharing that. I know how important showreels can be for people in theatre.

Signature questions

[00:26:37] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I'll move to the signature questions I ask all my guests. Can you describe the Mancunian spirit in a word or a phrase?

[00:26:45] Zac Blinston: On it. We're on it. I don't think I can in one word or phrase, but I'd say working class, anti-establishment, two fingers up to the rest of them And We're havin it! That Mancunian spirit is worker bee. Daughter's named after Mrs. Pankhurst. She's called Emmeline. And I think Manchester, going back to things like the Peterloo Massacre looking at important people like Alan Turing. Looking at the music scene in the seventies into the eighties with factory records and then going on to the second the acid house time as a baggy, the nineties, all the way up to the present day. We've always had a huge impact science, on industry, on culture, on arts.

I have to say, I do actually live in West Yorkshire now in Home Firth. We are converting some of these over here. We're making them know that this, I might be living on the wrong side of the Pennines, but, we are cluing them up over here, Manchester, all the way.

Manchester, la, Manchester, la.

[00:27:52] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Definitely. It's a lovely city. And as somebody who's relatively new to Manchester, there's a real powerful spirit of the community, which is so nice.

Can you share a Mancunian who inspires you and tell us why?

[00:28:05] Zac Blinston: Mancunians who have inspired me. Anthony Burgess, the author Emeline Pankhurst, and people like Tony Wilson. There's too many, there's loads of Mancunians who have inspired me over the years and continue to inspire me. Maxine Peake. Julie Hesmond Howell. Les Dawson

[00:28:26] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you. That's a shout out to quite a few Mancunians.

What's the most important life lesson you've learned?

[00:28:32] Zac Blinston: The most important life lesson I've learned is I go to Alcoholics Anonymous and we do the Serenity Prayer, which is, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. And as simple as that might sound, or look if you read it in text form, it's not that simple.

Having that acceptance, trying to live in the present. Don't live in the past. You can visit there once in a while, but it's no good staying there. Don't live in the future. can have dreams and aspirations, but stay true to yourself and stay in the present and enjoy things.

Even if you're washing the car or doing something you don't particularly like and find the joy in it. I absolutely hate doing the washing up. But I've tried my very best. I did a meditation from Headspace whilst I was doing the washing up and it was all about, now feel the soap bubbles, feel the warmth of the water. And it, and actually I thought, no, this is a bit daft, isn't it? But every time I wash the pots down, I can hear his voice going, Feel the suds, feel the warm water lapping around. and every single piece of cutlery gets shined and polished and neatly, and then the next bit, plates get really delicately washed.

[00:29:58] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: It's such an important, life lesson, like you said, acceptance and just staying in the present. And there's so much to celebrate in the present, but when we think about the past and we think about what may have been, we get caught up.

 If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

[00:30:15] Zac Blinston: I know what I wouldn't want to do. I wouldn't want to read people's minds, because I spent a long time trying to please other people, and I know that I definitely wouldn't want to read anyone's mind.

I used to really like that program. It was called Bernard's Watch, and it was a kid's TV program, where this lad had a magic watch, and he could just stop time. So sometimes when I'm like, oh, I've got to do this, I've got to do that, splitting myself in 10. Sometimes I wish I could just in the words of Stone Rose, it's Stop the world, I'm getting off. Just the world for a minute. Everyone would just stay frozen, and you could just do what you wanted. Just stop time.

[00:30:57] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: It's a good one, and I guess, again, it speaks about acceptance and staying more in the present so you can make the most of every moment.

Is there a funny or a heart-warming story you'd like to share with listeners?

[00:31:10] Zac Blinston: I've written a poem called Long After Tonight Is All Over.

In working class England, a soulful embrace,

Where Northern soul flourished with rhythm and grace.

Wigan to Warrington, to Stoke.

Purple hearts, black crossovers, don't care if I'm broke.

Keep the faith, they cried, a mantra they'd share,

For this beat laden movement, they'd always be there.

Gathered in Wigan, at the casino's door, movements of passion, they danced out on the floor.

Through filled haze, long after tonight's all over,

Steps synchronised from Berwick to Bolsover.

Soulful melodies, a sanctuary of bliss,

This moment of unity, nothing amiss.

A journey would beckon to stoke on Trent's torch

Where the faithful found solace, their spirits would scorch

as melody spun like a torrent of fire,

Igniting the night with their soulful desires.

Further west, uncover the cat gate

Wolverhampton's passion would reverberate

in the hallowed halls, echoes of sweet sounds as souls dance together.

Their feet to the ground, but twisted wheel had its own claim.

The scene’s legend found lasting fame.

With a vibrant, electric and raw,

It fuelled Northern Soul's revolutionary roar.

Lastly, to Blackpool Mecca we make our way,

Where dreams came to life, night blending with day.

Amidst swirling lights, euphoria unfurled,

As the music united a dancing world.

These sacred places, time now enshrined,

as testaments to a movement refined.

Northern soul, aflame to that forever will burn,

the hearts of those who sincerely yearn.

So let us remember those magical nights.

Where feet found their rhythm, souls took to flight.

The northern soul scene, from Detroit to the Dole.

A testament to music's power. There's only one soul.

[00:33:38] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That is really good Zac. What's it called?

[00:33:41] Zac Blinston: It's called Long After Tonight Is All Over.

[00:33:44] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Brilliant. Thank you so much. That's lovely. I like it when, poets describe a poem or a writer reads something from their work. So it's really nice. And I think adds to the listener experience.

Appreciate it. It's been a real pleasure. Thank you so much for taking the time.

[00:34:01] Zac Blinston: I'd just like to say thank you so much, Deepa, for inviting me onto the podcast. I hope all the listeners out there have enjoyed, and do get in touch with Mental Rebellion. And thanks to everyone for listening.

And it was an absolute honor and a privilege to take part Deepa. So blessings to you and your loved ones and keep doing this wonderful podcast because there are so many brilliant Mancunians out there doing their thing.

[00:34:31] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much, Zac. And that's exactly what this podcast is trying to do, shine a light on good causes and good people and encourage more good people to come forward.

Outro

Zac, I really enjoyed learning about supporting mental health through theatre today.

Next week, on Tuesday, 26th March 2024, I speak to Rahiela Koser about supporting the youth.

Dear listener, I hope you were inspired by today's episode and it sparks your passion to make change happen wherever you live and work. I would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our community for your support and feedback. Your stories inspire this podcast.

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