Bringing theatre and academia together: an approach to trauma mitigation
Richard Gettings is an Embedded Researcher and AWRC Colocator.
In the 80th anniversary year marking the end of World War II and following recent commemorations of Victory in Europe and Japan Days, this September we brought together theatre and academia in a stage play about the Atlantic Convoys to support individuals experiencing trauma and mental ill health.
Sheffield Hallam University, and specifically the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC), have played a significant role in my own journey following a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after an injury sustained during police service. The AWRC’s facilities and staff have provided a foundation for this collaborative proposal.
Bringing a local Sheffield perspective, as “Mettle” tells the story of a Sheffield man, this project aims to connect these elements and present the play in its home city.
The Stage Play: “Mettle”
“Mettle” recounts the experiences of Gordon Collett, a Sheffield native who served aboard HMS Vanessa during the Atlantic Convoys of World War II. The Atlantic theatre, often overlooked, was vital to the UK’s wartime survival. The convoys, comprising large numbers of merchant vessels protected by Royal Navy ships, faced significant threats from German U-boats. Many participants were very young, with some merchant seamen as young as 14.
Written and performed by Nicholas Collett (Gordon’s son) and directed by Gavin Robertson, “Mettle” draws on the Collett family’s experiences. Both Nick and Gavin have extensive experience in theatre, writing, producing, and performing nationally and internationally. Their professional approach and modesty have been notable throughout their careers.
A short promotional video for the play is available here.
The Venue: AWRC
The Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre in Attercliffe, Sheffield, is a hub for collaboration among health practitioners, researchers, designers, and engineers. The AWRC community is committed to advancing the links between movement, purpose, hope, and the mitigation of poor physical and mental health.
Since joining as an Embedded Researcher, I have valued the AWRC’s openness to innovation and new approaches. The supportive ethos, exemplified by Director Rob Copeland and Operations Manager Amanda Brothwell, enabled the staging of “Mettle” as part of an event focused on trauma and its mitigation.
Trauma and Its Mitigation
My perspective on trauma and PTSD is informed by lived experience rather than clinical or academic training. After over 20 years in policing and a diagnosis of operationally related PTSD, I found support through the veteran community and a military/veteran PTSD charity. Holistic activities, peer support, and shared experience have been crucial in managing trauma.
I subsequently founded the Daparian Foundation to connect the trauma lived experience community with decision-makers, aiming to ensure that lived experience informs policy and practice. Engagement with academia has provided the necessary evidence base for this work. More information is available here.
The Event: Bringing It All Together
Once the event was approved, I sought to integrate its various elements. I am grateful to work alongside colleagues such as Dave Hembrough, another Embedded Researcher and advocate for lived experience and community engagement. Dave is also the founder of a Sheffield-based strength and conditioning club. What is this club called? Mettle! If there truly is an omnipotent, almighty, power then it was telling me something here. Dave agreed instantly to co-present the event with me, to present about ‘the other Mettle’ and its incredible work supporting the physical and mental health of the local communities of Sheffield.
The event included a question-and-answer session on trauma mitigation through movement, resilience, purpose, and hope, with the play as a central feature. We managed to attract a diverse and eclectic audience to our event; the Mayor of Rotherham, Rukhsana Ismail, Mirban Hussain from Rotherham Hospice, members of the Darnall Wellbeing community and representatives from the Doncaster Muslim Wellness Conference journey; even a researcher from a fellow Health Determinants Research Collaboration team from the north of England who travelled down especially for the event. Thank you so much to everyone who attended and showed support and loyalty to what we are trying to build here!
Although the timing presented challenges in attracting attendees, the event succeeded in initiating a new conversation at the AWRC and Sheffield Hallam University.
What Next: A Call to Action
This event was inspired by my knowledge of the mutual benefits to be potentially gained by bringing three, previously perhaps believed to be mutually exclusive, areas of my life together: my journey through, and knowledge of, trauma and PTSD across all marginalised communities; my new embedded researcher role at the AWRC and, finally, the power of theatre and stage plays.
Now we need to consolidate this first step and this fledgling movement we’ve founded by bringing onboard more academic colleagues with a curiosity for doing something different and for being onboard at the start of a journey that could realise new openings, new conversations and new exciting directions of travel. Nick and Gavin, as I wrote earlier, are established actors, producers and directors with longstanding authority, credibility and respect in the theatre, TV and film industry. We are very lucky at Sheffield Hallam University to have this friendship and novel relationship building with them. I truly envisage this door leading to many other new friendships, opportunities and conversations with the theatre, T.V and film worlds going forwards for the SHU community.
If you are interested in discussing this initiative or exploring future collaborations, please contact me at R.Gettings@shu.ac.uk.