HAPPINESSLESS | JTC+Co.

It's one thing after another until you have no choice but to make way for happiness.

Happinessless

[ ] Videographer: Fez Miah

[ ] Photographer: Lloyd Miller

ABOUT

WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY

HAPPINESSLESS was an Arts Council Wales funded R&D project led by Justin Teddy Cliffe and Charlotte Lewis, with support from The Riverfront, Dirty Protest & the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It was funded by the Arts Council of Wales.

Throughout Sept 2023, a large creative team came together to co-create an experimental devising theatre process that aimed to use group-think, movement and technology to create a verbatim story telling experience exploring mental health and the human experience. The aim was to challenge us to think about how we can have better/more useful conversations about mental health, suicide, wellness and happiness. Constructing a piece of live-art/theatre that shifted between known places to liminal spaces and from the normalcy of everyday life into a more absurd kind of dreaming.

During this process we explored a model of co-creation with mental health practitioners, psychiatrists and local community members. Taking place over 4 weeks, the work resulted in a sharing at The Riverfront in Sept 2023.

We are now hoping to relaunch a version of the work in 2026/27

“It felt like a mini counselling session... just to share all these experiences and have that real feeling of being seen."

Audience Member

“You could identify with the characters in the piece and it really showed life in modern times, to be what it is. Brutal and beautiful."

Audience Member

“I thought it was absolutely brilliant, I wanted to walk on stage and rescue one of the characters. This needs to be rolled out everywhere."

Audience Member

VIDEOS

THE MAKING OF

CREATION, REHEARSAL,

PERFORMANCE

This short film was shot by Fez Miah, periodically throughout our process. It captures moments from rehearsal and audience feedback following the WIP sharing event.