DYSBIOSIS is a creative wellbeing programme designed to improve mental health, reduce loneliness, and support underrepresented communities in London. Through multi-artform public workshops, a one-day conference and a touring exhibition, the programme fosters social connection, builds confidence and promotes sustainable, creative practices.
We have most of the funding, but our Arts Council grant is conditional on our raising some of the funding ourselves. You can help us achieve this, by donating and by spreading the word; we’d be very grateful!
From May to October 2025, six 3-4 hour drop-in workshops will be delivered in community venues across East London, including one at Coldfire Festival, an arts festival with a mental health focus, ensuring accessibility for those facing social isolation, mental health challenges, or financial barriers. Led by diverse Dysbiosis creative practitioners, workshops will offer free, inclusive sessions exploring wellbeing through film, performance, music, collage, and photography. Participants will gain creative and technical skills, engage in discussions about local opportunities and build lasting connections with their environment and community. These new workshops come on top of an existing workshop programme in the London Borough of Havering.
The Queering the Earth exhibition will showcase the work of underrepresented LGBTQ+ and migrant artists alongside community participants, promoting social cohesion and visibility. A launch event will include a participatory workshop, empowering attendees to share their experiences through art.
The Dysbiosis Lab conference will convene 18 emerging and established artists, community members, and students from Tower Hamlets, focusing on climate justice, wellbeing, and career pathways. Guest speakers include Zia Álmos Joshua (Environmental Humanities), alongside round table discussions focusing on easing climate anxiety and empowering local communities.
We will also present the creative outcomes from the project work as an installation with performances. This will be shared as a work-in-progress piece at the 96 Festival at the Omnibus Theatre, Clapham, and then in full at Queens Theatre in September, before hopefully going to other venues.
By fostering peer support, skill-building, and creative expression, DYSBIOSIS will improve mental wellbeing, address social isolation, and create a healthier, more connected Tower Hamlets community.
How you can help
All donations to the crowdfunding help make this project a reality, and help us engage more participants and reach more communities in this wonderful, diverse, complex part of London.
As Daedalus Artist Director Paul Burgess explains,
There are two reasons why this crowdfunding campaigns can make a massive difference. One is that the Arts Council requires us to find some of the budget ourselves. That’s a condition of their funding. The second is that lots of donations to a crowdfunding campaign show that people care and want this project to happen. They show that our communities and our allies are behind us. That really helps us get further funding and build new partnerships. The funding mostly goes towards paying our artists a decent wage. Some also goes on transport and refreshments to make our workshops accessible to people on low incomes. So it’s win-win, and even a very small donation makes a significant difference, because it’s another person saying that they believe in our work.
Please watch the video and then donate if you can, and share. Thank you!
