CHAOS
FOREWORD
This complex and fascinating topic of mental disorders was brought to my attention by a client in 2017, who asked me to assist them in designing an internal campaign for the European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities (SEEPH). My condition for accepting to lead this project was not to confine ourselves to the week dedicated to employment for people with disabilities, but rather to use it as a mere pretext to launch a truly experimental and systemic approach to the issue.
I was fortunate enough to get a glimpse of the reality behind mental disorders through heart-to-heart encounters with resilient individuals who live courageously in a society that struggles to step aside and experiment with new solutions to meet their concrete needs. This eventually convinced me to embrace this theme and make it a priority topic.
WHY CHAOS?
Because it was time to address the needs of those affected by mental health disorders through an innovative and comprehensive approach.
Because it was urgent to break the taboos and encourage open dialogue in order to bring about a lasting change in mindsets and evolve societal perceptions. This can be achieved through awareness that is both emotional, informative, and collaborative.
Because mental health disorders represent:
- The leading cause of disability
- The second leading cause of work stoppage
- More than 11,000 deaths by suicide in France
- 1 in 4 people were affected by a mental disorder before COVID-19, according to a WHO study
- 1 in 3 French people were uncomfortable with the idea of working in the same team or sharing a meal with someone with a mental illness*
- 75% of French people believed that those affected by mental health disorders were often misunderstood and marginalized by their work colleagues.
CHAOS, a colossal yet essential undertaking! More than just a campaign, it is the unified cry of millions of people around the world suffering from complex disorders, doubly condemned by a stigmatizing societal gaze.”
THE CONCEPT IMMERSE YOURSELF IN “CHAOS”
A scenographic installation that leverages new technology to immerse participants in the experience of mental
disorders. This state of “CHAOS” embodies the disrupted world of individuals living with mental illnesses, alternating
between deep darkness, electricity, light, as well as acceleration, deceleration, jerky rhythms, and serenity…
THE OBJECTIVES
- Breaking taboos: Inform to overcome fears and encourage open dialogue,
- Ending isolation: Create spaces for exchange and encourage interaction, facilitate discussions with peer supporters,
restore confidence, and promote living together. - Promoting prevention: Inform about risk behaviors, addictions, and other related issues.
- Encouraging economic inclusion: Inform about best practices for job retention with specific accommodations, foster
a culture of kindness within companies, and reduce economic losses caused by excluding people living with mental
health conditions (25 billion € in economic losses, 65 billion € in social costs, and 13 billion € in health care expenses).
TESTIMONIALS
Having suffered from mental health issues since childhood, but never having received an established diagnosis, I find your project incredible. A thousand thanks!”
I wanted to say bravo for your project. Mental health issues are too often misunderstood, they scare people, and those suffering from them are pushed aside. Personally, being depressive and borderline, I have always felt different from others, and I rarely talk about what I go through out of fear of driving people away. Thank you.”
The experiment I launched through the CHAOS campaign was intended to help us identify out-of-the-box solutions
to both change perceptions of mental health issues and, more importantly, improve the inclusion of individuals affected
by mental illnesses in society and in the workplace.
This campaign is more relevant than ever, given the impact of the health crisis and successive lockdowns on the
mental health of the entire population. However, the crisis prevented us from continuing with the project as per the
initial action plan.
