Works&Projects

Synopsis:

Session (Sugar Version) is a multi-faceted film inspired by Pero's room in Bristol's Georgian House. The work considers how Pero's experiences as a slave affected his mental health, and how black men are treated by the mental health system today.

The film also looks at how sugar can be manipulated - the very commodity that fuelled the slave trade, making many Bristol traders rich in the 1770s, including Pero's master John Pinney.

Pero's room in the Georgian House is used for storage and has never been open to the public. As a counterpoint Session will be also screened at The Two Way Street. The Two Way Street is a Black and Minority Ethnic mental health advocacy service based in Bristol. African Carribean men who use the facility participated in the film.

Mandy worked with 4 male participants from the Two Way Street group throughout. They were asked to take part in sugar sculpting and junk percussion workshops held at Picture This over 3 days. Following this, in the Georgian House Museum, the group attended a series of one to one art therapy sessions in the attic space said to be Pero's room. Mandy also asked the group to place the sugar sculptures that they had made earlier in the week around the house.