Brians 2 psychiatric unit on the professional theatre circuit for the first time

The Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu theatre group Escenificant Noves Realitats (Staging New Realities), made up of people treated at the Prison Psychiatric Rehabilitation Hospital Unit (UHRPP) in Brians 2, is to make its debut on the professional theatre circuit in Barcelona. They will do so on 3 October at 7 pm at the Dau al Sec theatre with the play 'El cor es lliure', which will be repeated on Sunday the 5th at the same time.

The play, entitled El cor és lliure, is a collective creation which reflects on identity and hope, raising questions that reveal the light and shade we all carry within us and is brought to the stage with choreography by Toni Mira. Marta Oliu, head of theatre groups at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, an actress and assistant director of the play, says that "the most interesting thing about this experience is that the participants in the prison psychiatric unit have been able to feel that they have the right to play a part in theatre, that they can say important and valuable things, and that they can be heard in the field of culture which the public does not usually associate with prison settings."

The project has been enhanced by the personal experiences of each member of the group because they have worked without hierarchies or distinctions. Rodrigo García, the playwright and director of the piece, thinks that "the end result comes from really listening, which happened to ensure that everyone knew who we were and what we wanted to convey, from creating an environment where everyone stripped away layers until they got to the core, free from judgement."

A transformational experience

El cor és lliure has brought visibility and empowerment to the participants. In addition to Marta Oliu, the cast includes Marina Correa and Rosa Masip, two social integrators from the UHRPP, who have been keen to support the participants in this adventure from the outset.

Both agree that the change has been extraordinary since they kicked off the project about a year ago: “We see them as more communicative, more integrated into the group, more empowered. They really respect this space and feel that we work from a place of truth. For the first time, they don't feel invisible. They feel listened to, not observed. And this gives them a lot of strength in their everyday lives.”

The group's social integrators had already conducted a body expression workshop with people treated at the UHRPP, which helped them choose the participants for the play guided by the unit's professional team and keeping in mind each person's progress.

Throughout this project, which has involved nine months of collective work, the participants have been able to come out every Monday to rehearse at the Dau al Sec theatre in Barcelona.  The play has given them confidence and security while allowing them to reveal a private side of their personalities. "We would like people to realise that we are human beings, people with good hearts who may have made mistakes at some point in our lives, but who believe that change is possible," says one of the group's members.

Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu manages the care of prisoners with mental health problems in several prisons in Catalonia. It is a groundbreaking model of prison psychiatry in Spain which addresses the mental health problems of inmates not only through hospitalisation but also by delivering the most appropriate outpatient care.

El cor és lliure is a project by Torrents d'Art, the Arts in Health programme at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, and Dau al Sec Arts Escèniques with the backing of the ICEC – Government of Catalonia, the ICUB – Barcelona City Council and the ”la Caixa” Foundation.