​What does it mean to be part of the Mad movements today, and where are these movements heading?

​Over the past few years, Matt has interviewed 42 activists from every region of the world, people who identify as Mad, survivors, consumers, users, part of Mad Pride, and people with psychosocial disability. The interviews are part of they PhD, an activist-research project on international Mad movements. In this session, they shares early insights from those conversations.

​We'll explore:

​Stories: how people came to the movement, the histories they carry, and the elders, groups and moments that shaped them Contemporary movements: how activists see the state of Mad organising now, including its tensions, co-option, solidarities, and differences across regions and generations

​Future trajectories: what participants hope for, fear, and are building, from rights-based advocacy to new forms of Mad knowledge and community.

​Expect a short talk followed by an open, conversational discussion held by Micha. Service users, survivors, researchers, advocates, activists and anyone curious are welcome. No prior knowledge is needed. This will be a hybrid event. The web link and the exact room for the in-person option at Birkbeck will be shared closer to the event. Doors will open at 6.30pm and we will start at 7pm. Tea and snacks will be provided for those coming to Birkbeck.

​Matt Jackman (they/them) is a Mad Studies researcher and activist and a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney's Centre for Disability Research and Policy. Their work sits at the intersection of Mad Studies and qualitative methodology. They developed Maddened Reflexive Thematic Analysis (MRTA), which they apply to the histories and advocacy of consumer and survivor movements. Matt is a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Lived Experience in Mental Health Research and co-editor of the Mad Studies collection at Lived Places Publishing. They have contributed to several WHO initiatives on meaningful engagement, peer support and deinstitutionalisation, including through the Global Mental Health Action Network's Expert by Experience Action Group. They founded TACFLE and Mad Collective, and their background spans peer support, social work, forensic mental health and policy. They are based in Melbourne.

​Micha Frazer-Carroll (she/her) is a writer and campaigner from London.  She is author of Mad World, a book on the politics of mental health published by Pluto Press and writes widely on themes of anti-capitalism, mental health, disability, and culture. Micha is involved in various health and disability justice initiatives and is interested in the ways storytelling can further movements for social justice.