Untinned Animal

Jamie Bolland

Jamie Bolland is an artist and musician based in Glasgow. Through their tin-foiled alter ego Mercuro-Chrome, they explore their experience as a survivor of the mental health system, agitating through poetry and performance for alternatives to ‘cops in crisis’ care.

Jamie premiered a processional performance – acting as part soapbox-spieler, part zealot, part sage – as part of our opening event Manifesto at the CCA: Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow on Wednesday 4 October 2023. They also created a series of pamphlets containing extracts from their performance and material that inspired it.

I was sectioned in 1999 and later diagnosed with bipolar. It has had a continuing isolating effect on my life. In the past few years though I have become more aware of other mad activists. It has been wonderful to discover people sharing similar livid experiences with the mental health system.

In particular, the successful campaign (in 2021, England) to stop the wider roll-out of Sensory Integrated Monitoring (SIM) which criminalised people who were experiencing crisis. Let’s agitate for a revolutionary approach to care that is by the community for the community – with unity there is strength.
Jamie Bolland

People gathered in the foyer at the CCA in Glasgow — Jamie Bolland performing in the foyer at Manifesto (c. Ingrid Mur)

Download the Pamphlets

Each pamphlet is available to download as a PDF or buy for £3 from Jamie Bolland’s non-profit publishing co-operative slo-mo books.

Cover of a zine by Jamie Bolland entitled No More Cops in Crisis Care

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Contains references to self-harm, suicide, trauma and institutional abuse.

Cover of a zine entitled Powdered Borders

Contains references to being arrested and sectioned.

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Contains sexual references.

Cover of a zine entitled A Short History of Tin Foil

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‘Revolution’ Commissions

‘Revolution’ is the theme for the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2023. We have commissioned five artists to create new work to address this theme – and posed a challenge to established ways of thinking.

Digital

Untinned Animal

Jamie Bolland was commissioned to develop a processional performance and a series of downloadable pamphlets inspired by our ‘revolution’ theme.

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Candlesticks on a stand next to wall coated in dark red vintage wallpaper.

Digital

Be Nice to Yourself You Little Shit I Swear to God

Be Kind To Yourself You Little Shit I Swear To God is a humorous spoken word guided meditation by Jen McGregor for those of us who might know how to give gentleness but have no idea how to receive it.

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Four women posing on colourful chairs looking into the camera.

Film

we depend on each other

Four immigrant women discuss the mental health challenges they faced after arriving in Scotland in this short documentary by Bircan Birol.

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In the centre of the poster is a hand written large block text in black which reads ‘No One Way Works’. This quote is continued turning around the outside edges of the page, reading ‘It will take all of us shoving at the thing from all sides to bring it down - Diane di Prima.’ Around the central text is a border of 16 illustrations, which have a thin black outline, and are shaded in three shades of bright red. The illustrations are of: a razer blade; a bunch of Rosemary; a vial (like you would use for Oestrogen); a knotted rope; a pair of scissors; a crowbar; a wheatpaste brush; a balaclava; three round pills with smiley faces on; a spray paint can; a needle; a packet of prescription medications; bolt cutters;a lighter; a dildo; and a brick.

Visual Arts

An Archive of Propaganda from a Mad People’s Uprising

Lilith (Lea) Cooper is an artist, zine librarian and researcher based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They have created an archive of future propaganda exploring what a mad revolution would look like.

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Visual Arts

The Flood and the Fire

Artists and community educators Keira McLean and Joey Simons have created a revolutionary mixed-media montage and a pedagogical workbook.

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