I have just been reading John Lanchester’s great article ‘You Are the Product’ in the London Review of Books, 17 August 2017. I highly recommend it. If you can’t get it, here are some of the details that I really wanted to ‘share’. Facebook is HUGE. It has just passed … Continue reading
Author Archives: Jon Potter
Why can’t you vote online? – May 2014
I have just voted by post. And it reminds me of a conversation I had recently with a group of young people, who asked, “Why can’t you vote online?” This does seem a very good question. If you can pay money on the internet, and do your tax return, why … Continue reading
Mad Girl – February 2013
Medical Journalists’ Association Broadcast Drama Awards, from right, Jon Potter, Mitch Hadley, Phil Gladwin, Mary Peate, then Bethan Roberts, also nominated for her radio play, ‘Falling’. Our radio play Mad Girl, co-created by us and writer Phil Gladwin, has just been nominated for a Broadcast Drama Award by the Medical … Continue reading
The Brighton Comedy Festival – September 2012
We are right in the middle of preparations for our performance of ‘WARNING: May Contain Nuts’. The title for the event was suggested by Danny and Naveed at the Sunrise mental health Drop-In Centre in Slough, back in 2010. The performances have grown and flourished since then. The comedy angle … Continue reading
Call for Writing Submissions – July 2012
If you have been supported by mental health services at some time, we’d love you to submit writing for our current project. We are looking for poetry or prose up to 1500 words, for a book of collected work. We have no theme as such, but we are always interested … Continue reading
Writing for Wellbeing – June 2012
Participants and staff with Jon Potter (right) at Serena Hall A few weeks ago Company Paradiso completed a project that used music and writing to develop people’s emotional wellbeing. We worked with young people living independently at Slough Foyer and YMCA, and with homeless people at Serena Hall, a drop-in … Continue reading
Understanding Your Story – January 2012
Many studies over the last 20 years have confirmed that writing about emotional experience brings increased wellbeing. Broadly speaking, not talking about important psychological phenomena is a form of inhibition causing low-level stress and health problems. Letting go and talking about experience reduces the stress of inhibition. Translating experience into … Continue reading
Writing about emotional experiences can improve health – November 2011
I have recently come across some fascinating research by American psychologist James Pennebaker www.psy.utexas.edu/Pennebaker For many years he and others have demonstrated that when individuals write about emotional experiences, significant physical and mental health improvements follow. Writing programmes of 15 minutes a day for 4 days that focused on deep … Continue reading
‘Handle With Care’ Update Sept 2011
Tim Loughton, Minister for Children and Families This week I took three young people who have been through the care system to see Tim Loughton, Minister for Children and Families, at the Department of Education in London. He had agreed to meet us following an interview we did with him … Continue reading
The Riots – Where are the Voices of Reason? Aug 2011
This week has seen rioting in London and major cities in England. Many times during the last few days I have heard young people referred to as ‘feral’ or ‘mindless’.