Nottingham one-woman theatre company, mon0lisa Productions, staged a unique new play called ‘A Tale of Two Woman’ to coincide with National Heart Month.
At the New Art Exchange in Nottingham the play, supported by the British Heart Foundation, explored how feelings and psychological and emotional issues can affect the way we look after ourselves, and therefore our health.
We use many words linked to the heart to describe our feelings, from heartfelt to heartbreak, but do our emotions really affect our heart health?
The play also explored health and wellbeing themes around Jamaican and British cultural identity and belonging, to reflect the ongoing work mon0lisa Productions is doing with the BHF to raise awareness of heart health in Nottingham’s African Caribbean community.
For example, Lisa created the character of Patty Dumplin’ – a larger-than-life Jamaican lady, who has engaged communities throughout Nottingham with her humorous approach to heart health.
This work is part of the Hearts and Minds programme being run by the British Heart Foundation in partnership with Nottingham community organisations, to tackle heart health in city's Black and Multi Ethnic (BME) communities. It’s the first programme of its kind in the UK outside London.
Ali Orhan, Project Manager (BME Communities) at the British Heart Foundation said:
“Lisa Jackson has worked tirelessly with Nottingham’s African-Caribbean communities to highlight their increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. Her inspiring play brings to life the very real struggles that thousands of people are living with each day and the relationship between our physical and emotional health.
Making healthier choices can feel overwhelming, which is why this year our Heart Month is about making small, sustainable changes to your lifestyle that can have a lasting impact. By taking 10 minutes a day to get moving, adding one or two pieces of fruit more a day, or finding a way to quit smoking can make all the difference – and every 10 minutes counts!”
