Taking place on January 28 and 29, Reclaim will feature a packed programme of events and happenings curated to encourage the conversation around our wellbeing, both as individuals and as a global community.
Appearing on Saturday January 28 will be Dr Julie Smith, a Clinical Psychologist, online educator, author and content creator.
In November 2019, Dr Julie started uploading TikTok videos with clear, engaging advice on the topic of mental health as a way to reach a wider audience who might not be able to have access to therapy.
She now has more than five million followers across her social platforms and in January 2022 published her number-one bestselling book, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Julie has appeared on BBC Breakfast, CNN International, Lorraine, Radio 2, Radio 5 Live, and in The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Evening Standard and The Daily Telegraph. She is a regular on ITV’s This Morning and BBC Radio 1 Life Hacks.
Sunday January 29 will feature guest speaker Jonny Benjamin MBE, an award-winning mental health campaigner, author, filmmaker, and public speaker.
At the age of 20 Jonny was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar, and later began making films on YouTube about the condition that have been watched by millions of people.
Jonny now speaks publicly about living with mental illness and has written articles and given various interviews on TV, radio and in print around the world to help educate and break stigma. He has also written three books and produced and presented documentaries on BBC Three and Channel 4 about mental health.
His 2014 social media campaign to find Neil Laybourn, the stranger who talked him out of jumping off a bridge when he was suicidal, went viral and led to Jonny becoming a prominent spokesperson about suicide.
In 2018 Jonny co-founded the youth mental health charity, Beyond, together with Neil. Each year they hold an annual wellbeing festival for schools and colleges, as well as giving grants to provide mental health support for young people across the UK.
Also taking place on Sunday January 29 will be a Climate Anxiety Q&A Panel which will bring together a group of influencers recently involved in Eden’s Climate Positive social media campaign.
Among those taking part in the panel will be author of Where the Wildflowers Grow Leif Bersweden, founder of Sustainable Fashion Week Amelia Twine, and wildlife journalist Jasmine Isa Qureshi.
For those who would like to take part in the event digitally, both Johnny Benjamin’s talk and the Climate Anxiety Q&A Panel will be livestreamed via TikTok Live, Facebook and YouTube.
Other activities taking place at Reclaim include the opportunity for visitors to flex their creative muscles in free journaling workshops run by Emily Wheeler of Strength in Feathers. These intimate workshops offer an opportunity to explore the benefits of putting thoughts and feelings down on paper.
The Mediterranean Biome will be filled with the sounds of beautiful, relaxing and emotional music from talented musicians Webmoms, Isak’s Island and Brooke Sharkey.
In addition, visitors will be able to pick up a pre-loved bargain and do the planet a favour by saying no to fast fashion at a vintage kilo sale with Falmouth-based Wild Pony Vintage and Urban Apparel.
In the wonderous setting of the Rainforest Biome, a series of pop-up talks will feature members of Eden’s Explainers team interacting with guests on the global trade in wild plant ingredients.
Throughout the weekend, a wide range of wild ingredients will be highlighted, including baobab, brazil nuts, shea butter and liquorice. There will also be opportunities to partake in Pukka wild tea tastings in the Bamboo House within the Biome.
The talks have been curated by Eden alongside TRAFFIC, a leading non-governmental organisation working on wildlife trade in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
TRAFFIC and partners have recently published the WildCheck Report which aims to address the challenges of wild harvesting and the subsequent opportunities that sustainable sourcing can bring.
Exclusively for the weekend, Eden will be offering half-price entry for students. The discount will be automatically applied when purchasing a student ticket online.
Kate Francis, Eden’s Living Theatre Producer, said: “We are incredibly proud and excited to be hosting our first ever wellness weekend, Reclaim. We hope to provide an inspiring and welcoming programme that will highlight the importance of prioritising both our personal mental wellbeing and the health of our planet.
“There will be a vast variety of activities on offer over the weekend, some fantastic speakers and something for everyone. We hope our visitors enjoy themselves and in doing so, may take home ideas or tools they can use in their own day-to-day lives.”
For more information and to book tickets see www.edenproject.com.
A trailer for Reclaim can be viewed here.
