About this Event
ARE YOU ALRIGHT MATE? is asking local men to do something that can sometimes be surprisingly difficult: talk honestly about how life has been.
We're looking for five men in Paignton to take part in a one-to-one creative session this October. Sharing your story as a means to help us start a conversation about preventing suicide. Your conversation could help shape a new public artwork about men's mental health, which will be installed at railway stations in Devon from January 2027.
This isn't a workshop where you have to perform
You'll spend around 90 minutes with a member of the Alright Mate? team having a relaxed, confidential conversation about your own experiences.
You might talk about times when life has been difficult, feeling isolated, relationships, friendship, mental health, suicide, what has helped you, or what you've learned along the way.
You don't have to know exactly what you want to say. You don't have to be good at talking about feelings. And you don't have to share anything you're uncomfortable with.
We're looking for real stories rather than perfect ones - particularly stories that contain some sense of hope, connection or finding a way forward.
Could your story become part of the artwork?
At the end of your conversation, you'll be invited to have your portrait taken.
The finished installation will combine large-scale black and white portraits with recordings of participants' stories. People passing through the railway station will be able to scan a QR code and hear directly from the men involved.
If you don't want your face to appear in the final installation, that's okay. There will be an alternative opportunity to work with a wet plate photographer to create an image that can be used instead.
Who can take part?
The project is open to local men with something to say about their experiences of mental health, wellbeing or difficult periods in their lives.
You don't need to have a particular mental health experience or consider yourself an 'expert'. This is simply an opportunity to talk, listen and contribute to a project that aims to make conversations about men's mental health feel a little easier.
Before you book
This session involves talking openly about mental health and may include discussion of difficult experiences, including suicide, bereavement, isolation and periods of poor mental health.
You will never be asked to share anything you don't want to. The conversation will be led sensitively by the Alright Mate? team, and you can pause or stop the session at any time.
If you feel this might be difficult for you right now, please consider whether taking part is right for you. You don't need to have your story all worked out — just come as you are.
Event details
Date: Friday 9 October 2026
Time: 10.30am–5pm - you'll be allocated an individual 1.5-hour session within this timeframe
Venue: People's Parkfield, Paignton
Places: 5 individual spaces
Cost: Suggested donation from £5
Booking: Advance booking is essential
Please select a time when booking that works for you.
ARE YOU ALRIGHT MATE? is a project by Alright Mate? CIC, delivered in partnership with Great Western Railway, alongside the Samaritans, Andy's Man Club and Pete's Dragons.
The stories and images created through these sessions will form part of a new railway station installation planned for launch in January 2027.
You never know who might need to hear your story.
Are you alright mate?
Event venue & nearby stays
People's Parkfield Community Hub, 38 Esplanade Road, Paignton, United Kingdom
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