Upcoming Webinar: Ethics in focus - the power and principles of telling stories of substance use
Date: Thursday 28th November
Time: 12.30 – 2pm
Stories help to bridge divides, inspire action, shape policies, influence perception and create change.
Join us for an expert led discussion on the ethics and power of storytelling as we dive into ethical considerations, responsibilities, and best practices for sharing stories about people that use substances, addiction, recovery, and resilience.
Participants will gain insight into
How to approach storytelling with authenticity, balancing creativity with advocacy and truth
Understanding the impact of language and framing in stories of substance use
Ethical guidelines, avoiding commodification and understanding consent
Best Practice – using peer-led approaches
Fostering awareness and understanding whilst avoiding re-stigmatisation
Guest panel members
Ann Dowsett Johnston – Bestselling author. Writing teacher. Psychotherapist.
Ann is the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, named by the Washington Post as one of the top 10 books of 2013. She is a pioneer in researching the pinking of the alcohol market and the epidemic in female risky drinking. An award-winning journalist, Ann spent close to three decades at Canada’s newsweekly: Maclean’s magazine. A former Vice-Principal of McGill University, she went back to grad school in her sixties and is now a psychotherapist. As well, she is the founder of Writing Your Recovery, a popular memoir-writing course for women. Widely honoured for her work in destigmatizing substance use disorder, she is the recipient of many awards, including an honorary doctorate of law from Queen’s University.
Website: Ann Dowsett Johnston
Ann Dowsett Johnston on Instagram
Ann Dowsett Johnston on Twitter
Ann Dowsett Johnston on Facebook
Richard Mylan is an actor, writer, director, and co-founder of the creative collective Grand Ambition.
Richard is a Swansea born theatre, film and television actor, whose work ranges from drama to comedy in television shows such as Waterloo Road and Coupling (BBC), to leading roles in Theatre productions in the West End and Olivier winning plays. Last year he unveiled his new play ‘Sorter’, a powerful look at legal and illegal opioid addiction, asking if there is such a thing as an “acceptable addiction", and if so why. He wrote Sorter to come to terms with his own heroin addiction and hopes it will lead to a bigger conversation where all addictions are treated with empathy, dignity & understanding.
Richard says: ‘Addiction itself can rob you of ambition, of opportunity, added to that, the stigma around addiction means that you are generally denied the chance of reconnecting with your ambition and opportunity, because stigma almost brands you for life as unworthy, untrustworthy, undeserving of opportunity, of wanting to progress. Stigma is the root cause of a distinct societal lack of empathy and understanding. We have to challenge that.’
X - @RichardMylan
Grand Ambition Linktree: GRAND AMBITION | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Maddie Kitchen FRSA - Sobriety Films UK CIC
Producer, Director, CEO, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts ‘in recognition for her work using film to support and advocate for inclusive and diverse mental health and addiction recovery’. After an extensive career in media and broadcasting, Maddie set up Sobriety Films in 2017. The non-profit is a lived experience collective of filmmakers who produce films, run recovery based filmmaking workshops and hold screenings events with Q&A’s to reduce stigma and promote recovery from addiction, mental ill health and trauma. SFUK uses film and creativity to champion diversity, inclusion and the empowerment of marginalised people and communities. Maddie is 18 years in recovery from alcohol dependence and mental ill health.
Website: HOME | My Site
IG: sobriety_films
FB: Sobriety Films UK
X: @UkSobriety
Dr Nicole Miller – University of West London
Dr Nicole M Miller is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of West London and is currently the Sustainability Lead for the School of Human and Social Sciences (SHSS). Nicole has a passion for community-based participatory research including training people with lived experience in peer research methodologies such as photovoice and digital storytelling. Her research also includes exploring new innovate ways to incorporate the lived experience of people who use drugs (PWUD) in campaigns to reduce stigma and lived experience of people who encounter disaster related events (e.g. flood) into shaping future preparedness programs. Nicole is also a certified Alcohol and Drug counsellor, with a history of working in harm reduction clinics in South Central Los Angeles and more recently working at The Priory in North London and Hayes Grove.
Nicole is currently working on a consultancy project with the organisation USICE where she is developing a novel anti-stigma campaign using digital storytelling and photovoice. Raychelle Baffo is the graduate intern on the project. Raychelle obtained a BSc degree in Psychology at the University of West London. Her dissertation focused on stigma for LGBTIQA+ minority ethnic groups. Raychelle is interested in clinical psychology and reducing stigma.
Academic website: https://www.uwl.ac.uk/staff/nicole-m-miller
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5937-1629
X: @NicoleM_Miller
X: @RaychelleBaffo