Refuge

Refuge are an acoustic band interested in community growth through music, and have now fully embraced their passionate interest of supporting an understanding of Mental Health issues, they are currently working in association with SISO (Safe Inside, Safe Outside). This partnership will culminate in the release of an album that will primarily challenge negative social perceptions of mental health, an understanding of the impact of environment and community, whilst providing an arts platform for local poets, lyricists, artists and performers.

Due for release in October 2010, this new album titled ‘Allowed a Voice’ features the singles ‘Recovery’ and ‘In the Black of my Mind,’ both of which showcase lyrics written by mental health service users involved in the Leicester SISO (Safe inside safe outside) project. Leicester based youth organisation Soft Touch (whose mission is to use the arts to offer people with limited opportunities the chance to work together to affect positive change for themselves and their communities) will be producing the artwork for the project, ensuring that the entire process is inclusive of both individuals and groups who have experience and interest in the fields of mental health, exclusion and the negative effects of stigmatism.

The lead singer of Refuge, who himself suffers from Bi Polar disorder (previously known as manic depression), hopes that the album will help people speak freely and without prejudice about mental illness, and raise awareness of the positive attitudes and projects that are available today.

SISO has been created by a group of people with mental health difficulties, who have drawn on their own experience in responding to and recovering from their condition, with the support of Advance. SISO incorporates the ‘whatever works for you’’ philosophy allowing people to adopt varying techniques which promote self value, self management, confidence, character and assertion. SISO promotes a philosophy which encourages aspiration and hope for a life which focuses on what people can do, not what they can’t do. A philosophy, which challenges convention and takes into account the panoramic view of a person’s life & not just a life governed by a mental health diagnoses. SISO believes that this should be a pin prick in the landscape, not the very definition of who you are. SISO is about people who are experts by experience, entering from the outside changing perceptions, plugging existing gaps through a new wave of creativity, ideas and solutions to long standing problems and inequalities which continue to hold people back, taking up their rightful place on society with renewed hope & optimism which allows people to challenge on all fronts and most of all dream again, helping make the recovery journey a reality.

The singles from this album will additionally feature original poems as the B sides again written by mental health service users, and are available for download from ITunes and Amazon from June 2010. Costs for download are not fixed, But donations are welcome via the paypal button on the www.refugemusic.co.uk site , all money raised will be donated to charity. The songs are also available free of charge to those who are not able to donate to this charitable cause.