Interview with Artist John Douglas | The Big Anxiety 2019

Week five 21/10/19: Festival Ambassador and Artist John A Douglas in conversation with Dr Bec Dean John A Douglas is an organ transplant recipient who identifies as an artist with chronic illness/non-visable disability. During this podcast John talks about the experience of how transplant patients incur a life long range of physical, mental and cognitive impairments. John believes that a connection to a creative community with similar lived experiences including those with mental health issues can improve both quality of life and longevity. The opportunity to connect to a sustained and empathic community can be of great benefit to the individual and to society as a whole. In partnership with 2RPH Radio. The Big Anxiety, first staged in 2017, is a festival that “brings together artists, scientists and communities to question and re-imagine the state of mental health in the 21st century”. Artistic and Executive Director Professor Jill Bennett (UNSW), Producer Tanja Farman, Senior Curator Bec Dean.