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THE 2023 FESTIVAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
21 October - 17 November
FoSS and ESRC logos

Is Suicide prevention everyone’s business?

Where art meets the politics of public health

Is Suicide prevention everyone’s business flyer

Lifelong wellbeing theme

Professional audiences

What’s on offer?

Suicide is a major public health concern responsible for around 700,000 deaths worldwide. Here in the UK, each national government – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – has expressed grave concerns about national suicide rates, and each has developed their own suicide prevention policy. But is suicide prevention a political issue?

To answer this question, we have analysed eight UK suicide prevention policies, the associated political debates and some charity campaigns, as well as asking the public – and in particular communities affected by suicide – what they think about the politics of suicide prevention. To gather their views, we ran a number of community arts workshop where participants made a range of collages and creative writing, which are now combined within an analytical zine.

This event will provide an exhibition of our participants’ creative works, accompanied by a short talk from the researchers, before handing over to attendees to give the creative practice (collaging or poetry) a go themselves to speak back to politicians and policy-makers.

If you aren’t able to join us in person there will be an opportunity to watch the talk online.

What’s it about?

This event is the first public display of our exhibition of the politics of suicide prevention and will use creative activities to facilitate networking between policy makers, practitioners and members of the public interested in suicide prevention.

Who’s leading the event?

Dr Hazel Marzetti, Research Associate in the School of Health in Social Science

Open to

General public; professionals, adults

Of particular interest to

Of particular interest to

- any member of the public interested in suicide prevention

- any professional interested in suicide prevention such as those working in Third Sector mental health organisations or mental leath policy roles