25 years of arts in health innovation

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Rosetta Life is marking a quarter-century of innovation with Learn From Us, a new disability dance theatre production that brings the lived experiences of brain injury survivors to the forefront. Touring the UK from April through to November, the show is a culmination of years of research and creative practice, blending professional artistry with the raw, honest perspectives of those who have navigated life-altering trauma. Through a combination of music, movement, and global video projections, the performance advocates for independence and explores the delicate, often complex relationship between the survivor and the carer.

At the heart of the production are performers Jen Chandler and James Heather, both Brain Odysseys ambassadors who have spent years working with Rosetta Life to rebuild their creative identities. For Chandler, who joined the project two decades after sustaining a brain injury at the age of 18, the journey has been one of profound reclamation. "After suffering a traumatic brain injury, you feel like life is over, knowing not being able to participate in the life I had and loved was devastating," she reflects. "As a teenager, I did not believe I had the strength to overcome and accept such momentous changes to my life. It was one step forward at a time, until I was introduced to Rosetta Life, which was the catalyst to finding a new and meaning to my life."

James Heather, a former commercial pilot who has authored a book on his recovery, echoes this sense of hard-won progress and personal evolution. His perspective offers a testament to the patient, persistent nature of rehabilitation. "I’m a kinder, more chilled, more considerate, aware and happier person," Heather observes. "You have to be determined. Much more things are possible if you approach with a little determination at the beginning. It took me 12 years to spread butter again!"

Lucinda Jarrett, Creative Director of Rosetta Life, explains that the work is designed to dismantle preconceived notions about disability. "Through the eyes of two people who have recovered from brain injury, Learn from Us explores the journey of recovery from trauma through laughter, poetry, video projection, movement and song," Jarrett says. "I want people to leave the theatre with an altered perception of disability after trauma: I want people to see the extraordinary strength of the two lead actors. I also want people to be touched by the humanity of their stories and by a theatre practice which uses projections not to dazzle or create spectacle but to support an understanding of their felt experience."

As Rosetta Life reaches its 25-year milestone, the charity’s work has become more vital than ever, particularly as part of SHAPER, the world’s largest study into the impact of arts interventions on health. For Jarrett, the anniversary is a moment to reflect on the power of the community they have built. "Sometimes, leading a charity working with ambition with people living with serious illness in an ongoing difficult economic climate, the thing I am most proud of is our survival," she says. "However, when I look back over the past twenty-five years, I think I am most proud of how we have developed a strong co-creation practice that leads to inclusive, creative, respectful communities who care for each other. I hope that for a moment the community we make in the theatre with our audiences share all these values and hold them when they step back into the wider world."

Learn From Us tours until 11 November. For more information and booking, visit rosettalife.org.