Sarah and Seth

We invited Rosa Productions to build upon previous filmwork with us and make a film about Mental Fight Club’s projects. With interviews, poetry readings, still images, video and a wonderful soundtrack from our Dragon Cafe Singers, you are invited to connect with our creative and wellbeing journey.

The Dragon Café Ethos

The Dragon Café is the flagship project of Mental Fight Club.

Mental Fight Club is a creative group which arose out of the experience of severe mental illness and recovery of Sarah Wheeler, MFC’s founder. In 2003, Sarah ran a series of group readings of the epic poem Mental Fight by Ben Okri – people liked them, word got out and Mental Fight Club was born.

Sarah Wheeler, MFC’s founder. To read more about Sarah’s journey click here

Mental Fight Club’s aim is to be an open, welcoming group which puts on exciting, well-organised and inspirational creative events and projects. Most of our part-time paid workers and volunteers have experience of mental illness, mainly by direct personal experience but also as friends, family and carers of those with mental ill-health. We work hard to develop ways of working together that help us all with our on-going recovery and self-awareness and equip us with new skills and experience.

The Dragon Café is the embodiment of Mental Fight Club’s ethos.

Dragon Café Documentary

Filmed by Film-Works participants and edited with their approval by Chris Haydon of Southwark.TV who led the sessions. The project continued into the second 10-week set of workshops that started in May with the aim of completing a definitive documentary portrait of The Dragon Cafe by the end of July 2013.

With guidance, participants have shot interviews, created a raft of ‘colour’ material to support editing, some have also stepped firmly into the post production environment, all in a considered attempt to capture the rich spectrum of activities, life and character that inhabits and defines The Dragon Cafe.

The Dragon Café provides an informal creative and safe space for people to meet and take part in a range of activities. Everyone who enters The Dragon Café becomes a Patron.

Although we are very much in the Mental Health & Wellbeing field, we encourage all our Patrons to leave their diagnosis at the door, to come in, to be human, to know that you are welcome here; the emphasis is always on similarities rather than differences.

The Dragon Café is a highly effective, creative & social antidote to the loneliness & isolation which is endemic in our society and highly prevalent in mental illness. We also offer a place to simply be and relax. You are just as welcome to join in activities as you are to sit on a bean bag and rest.

The Dragon Café is open to all – services users, friends, family, carers, mental health professionals and the wider public. The Dragon Café is a safe creative space for you to enjoy. All are welcome – to everything!

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