Headline sponsor needed for Bedford Charity Show for World Suicide Prevention Day

East Midlands Charity, CLICK Arts Foundation are joining forces with London Comedy Club, Groovie Comedy for a charity show to be performed at The Place, Bedford on Thursday September 12th and are seeking a headline sponsor and raffle prizes.

CLICK Arts Foundation, reg charity 1203549 promote and support the advancement of performing and visual arts for public benefit. They provide grant funding for grassroot arts organisations to support inclusive public participation and to support national arts organisations and institutions. The charity knows that the benefits and reach of the arts extend far beyond the spotlight.

Champion Health recently collated statistics around suicide, finding: Over 700,000 people take their own life each year – that’s one person every 40 seconds (World Health Organisation); 115 people die by suicide in the UK every week – with 75% of those deaths being male (ONS); 1 in 5 people have suicidal thoughts (NHS Digital). The Arts have long been known to promote opportunity, connectivity and empowerment, and are a combat to loneliness and isolation which are huge factors when it comes to poor mental health.

Dr Audrey Tang, founder of CLICK Arts Foundation said “With this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day Theme being “Creating Hope Through Action”, we are delighted to be working with a number of high profile performers and wellbeing advocates to produce a variety show to raise awareness of ways in which we can offer support to others, as well as celebrate how the arts contribute to better mental health outcomes.”

One of the confirmed line up is Performance Poet (and the 11th Bard of Northampton) Kezzabelle Ambler who said of her own work with poetry and mental health “There was a girl in the Mental Health Ward who was self-harming, and she came to a (Weaving Words Workshop) session, and that night, instead of cutting was writing, and got the same release.”

And Jacqui Middlewood, Drama co-ordinator at The Hope Centre, Northampton told Dr Audrey “The arts bring untold inside things...One of the drama group who is very very vulnerable...stood up to read...and the head of the Hope Centre walked by...and I could see his face...and what he was giving her was the total respect of listening to her.”

Other performers and speakers include BBC Radio Leicester presenter, and the founder of The Pierce Perspective, Andy Pierce; London-based drag queen and host Dark Sugar; the Northampton NHS Suicide Prevention Team and CLICK’s very own Burlesque Squad, who dance for confidence and wellbeing and who were recently recognised by – and featured in – the United Nations State of the World Population Report 2024 as an example of the work being done in the UK to promote sexual rights and inclusivity as we age.

The line-up is set to offer a showcase of talks, dance, song, comedy and music whilst also recognising the importance of the cause and holding space for people to share their experiences. With a headline sponsor it means that 100% of the ticket sales and fundraising will be split between CLICK Arts Foundation going directly to their grant funding, and second nominated charity The Samaritans.

The Headline Sponsor (£1000) package includes:

• Your logo on all our promo materials and “shout out” in any press releases
• 4 free tickets, plus invitation to say a few words on stage during the event
• Minimum of 2 social media posts per week about your organisation for a month leading up to the event

PLUS

• 3 hours to record a 30 minute piece of video content of your choice at CLICK’s corporate partner, Wellbeing Media Studio, Bedford.
• All resulting edited and raw files for your use.

AND

• (if local to Bedford, Northampton or MK) Wellbeing Media Studio will come and shoot a segment of up to 5 minute at your organisation, about your work, to be shared on their YouTube page AND within their Mental Health Matters show which airs on e360TV (on Amazon Firestick, Roku, Apple TV & Android TV) so far reaching 6000+views a month globally.

Raffle Prizes donation benefits (looking for at least 6 at a value of £50 or above) – must be LOCAL (Bedford, Northampton, MK based)

• Your logo on our programme
• 2 free tickets
• Minimum of 1 social media post per week about your organisation from a month leading up to the event

PLUS

• Wellbeing Media Studio will come and shoot a segment of up-to-5-minute at your organisation, about your work, to be shared on their YouTube page AND within their Mental Health Matters show which airs on e360TV (on Amazon Firestick, Roku, Apple TV & Android TV) so far reaching 6000+views a month globally.

For more information or to register your interest to be the headline sponsor or donate a raffle prize, please contact Dr Audrey Tang of CLICK Arts Foundation on [email protected]