Stories

When I first came to a Loophole Music session as a patient at Bethlem Royal Hospital, the thought of performing in front of people terrified me. I’ve played piano for many years but I didn’t think I’d ever have…

Isolation is one of the biggest impacts of my condition. Chronic pain, fatigue and cognitive difficulties caused by Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalitis mean I can’t work or socialise regularly. Three years down the line, I find myself getting anxious…

I spent most of my childhood in care. That’s where I learnt to be a criminal – it was my training ground. The other boys and the staff all said I’d end up in prison. I had no prospects…

Fay (occupational therapist) and Kieran (Good Vibrations facilitator) discuss about one of our secure hospitals projects and the impact the sessions have had on participant Dean.   Fay: Dean has been in hospital for over ten years. He’s got…

I first joined Good Vibrations’ Loophole Music project in 2018, when I was a patient in Bethlem Royal Hospital in Bromley. I was so happy to be creative again. It reawakened something in me that had been lying dormant…

Many people including myself didn’t think I would see my 30th birthday. I grew up in a pub with alcoholic parents who had regular drunken fights. Me and my brother had no restrictions. I was 5 when I had…

Linda is a joy to have on our Resonate gamelan project in Glasgow. She first joined in 2016 and is now one of our most committed members. Playing gamelan for the first time, Linda says, she could finally do…

I never imagined my mental health would lead me to be incarcerated, but that’s the hand I was dealt. It was there that I first encountered Good Vibrations. I saw the poster and signed up straight away not really…