Warning: This article is about mental health issues and suicide which may be distressing for some readers.
A ground-breaking initiative has been launched with the aim to open up the conversation about mental health and give those who are struggling "a bit of a break" through the power of live music.
Bring People Dancing believes music is inclusive, can break down barriers, and ultimately save lives.
The organisation is already attracting high level interest from the likes of mental health pioneer Mike King as well as top New Zealand UFC fighter Shane Young, whose post victory speech on mental health and high youth suicide rates in Aotearoa last year went viral.
Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter. Shane Young. Photo/ Michael Craig
The Bring People Dancing Foundation was launched in September last year by Kiwi singer Mitch James and his manager, music promoter Mitch Lowe after their mutual friend T-Stain (Callan Umbers) died suddenly in a suspected suicide.
"We knew his struggles, lived through it with him. We loved him, but we couldn't save him," they say.
James approached his manager Lowe with the idea for the foundation just a few days after the funeral of Umbers.
James and Low attended a talk by Mike King soon after their friend died, and quickly realised King's philosophy on mental health and suicide resonated with them strongly.
"We contacted Mike King and had a meeting with him because we had the concept of Bring People Dancing, but we needed his advice to bring it to life," Lowe says.
Comedian and mental health campaigner, Mike King. Photo/ Michael Craig
In New Zealand, deaths by suicide have reached their highest level since records began 12 years ago, according to figures released in August 2019.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at that time there was "no question" the suicide rate was too high.
"As a government we have to put our all into turning that around," Ardern said. "It is one of our biggest long-term challenges as nation. Not just as a government, as a nation."
Bring People Dancing is a way for James and Lowe to try to make a difference, as they say everyone can enjoy music, whoever you are and wherever you are from.
Lowe says that his friend Umbers loved music and it helped him escape when he was finding it really tough.
"He lived with a condition called Borderline Personality Disorder and music gave him relief."
The idea of the foundation is to offer others similar respite.
"A person who is struggling and won't reach out for help would still put headphones on or turn the radio on and find a connection through music. With Bring People Dancing, people can reach out to us, or us to them. We can take them to a live concert and give them an unforgettable experience," Lowe says.
Lowe explains King has been a helpful mentor and they feel honoured to be working so closely with him. Like them, he is all about inclusiveness, not division.
"Basically, like Mike King, we don't see it as a campaign or just a charity like an add-on. It's a way of life in which everyone in the community is part of the solution to everyone's mental health struggles. We all struggle. I struggle. Mitch James struggles. There should be no us and them. It's just all us. All of us in this world together."
Lowe believes this philosphy so much he had it tattooed on him.
"No one has their shit together. I was going to get that tattooed on me, however I already had a jet plane tattoo, so now underneath it are the words 'everyone is winging it'."
Bring People Dancing has already invited 20 people who needed support to enjoy a live concert or festival which Lowe's music company Audiology is behind. The participants have attended events such as Bay Dreams, Soundsplash, Six60 and Sticky Fingers.
"If someone has mental health issues, they might not tell anyone to go to the doctor, or call and 0800 number, but most people would love to go to a free event or concert. Bring People Dancing is exactly that, " says Lowe.
Singer Mitch James with his manager, music promoter Mitch Lowe at Bay Dreams in January 2020. Photo/ Jack Neale
Several participants have said Bring People Dancing has been life changing. One of them is Johnny Arbuckle from Nelson, whose girlfriend messaged the Bring People Dancing Instagram page to ask for a meet and greet with Sticky Fingers during the band's recent New Zealand tour.
"My beautiful partner (Johnny) has bipolar and Sticky Fingers' music pretty much saved his life and helps him through the lows," she said.
Arbuckle gives a big thumbs up to the Bring People Dancing team.
"Bring People Dancing is an unreal campaign. These boys went above and beyond to make my dreams become a reality. It has shown me that even when things are going wrong in your life there are unexpected moments that are worth living for and BPD brought one of those moments to me. Thank you guys."
"We got to meet Mitch Lowe, Mitch James, Dylan Frost and Freddy Crabs. My partner and I are absolutely blown away with how hard they have worked to make this happen. Music is Johnny's life and to have a campaign that can see how important music is to mental health is awesome."
Sticky Fingers' frontman, Dylan Frost. Meeting Sticky Fingers was high point for one particpant in the Bring People Dancing campaign Photo/ Jack Neale
Lowe believes Bring People Dancing works because music speaks to the heart and soul and reaches places you can't reach otherwise.
"The participant can choose whichever level of experience they want. Some prefer to be in the crowd, or just with their friends, and others want to be in the mosh pit, or backstage with Mitch and the crew. People are just so different, it's up to them," he explains.
"This is our first year, but we are already getting interest internationally. It's growing and growing, and it has a domino effect. We've reached as far afield as Japan. When we wear our T-shirts, it is a talking point. Bring People Dancing is about implementing a culture where everyone feels included."
Callan Umbers' legacy
Singer songwriter Mitch James said he decided he wanted to do something tangible after his friend Umbers' suspected suicide in September. He explains Borderline Personality Disorder is the ultimate rollercoaster ride.
Callan Umbers, known to friends by the nickname T-Stain, died last year in a suspected suicide. Photo/ supplied
"You have someone who wakes up in the morning extremely happy and find them later that day crying in their room wanting to kill themselves. It's such a hectic thing to deal with.
"T-Stain was part of our close group of friends for 16 years. I know someone else with Borderline Personality Disorder too, so I have a very unfortunate past with BPD. We know how much it fluctuates and how horrible it is," he says.
Although there had been some close calls before, their friend's death still came as a huge shock to James and Lowe, who were in the States when they got the news.
He believes Umbers would have been extremely passionate about the campaign.
"He was a massive lover of music. T-Stain came alive when he was around the shows, and that's why it was a no-brainer for us. We thought there would be no better concept than this. You know, I've never seen a sad person at a concert, and we are giving people experiences that will literally stick with them forever."
James explains that he has had some horrible experiences with mental illness himself when he was younger.
"But it's no longer about me now, it's about all of us. Music is a healer. It is such an honour to have been given a gift that helps so many people. It goes hand in hand with the foundation," he says.
"We're giving someone a temporary moment of escape from their day to day, but for us it is about the conversation around it. Not everyone tells people outwardly how they feel. These are not the people that reach out and seek counselling or go to a doctor. They are the internal dealers, and what we do is about unlocking this. We give them a ticket and then open up the conversation."
James says that to become part of Bring People Dancing, you can nominate yourself and tell your story, or you can nominate someone else.
"We have had some heart-breaking stories, and it was tough reading most of the time. This is for people who so deserve this opportunity. The people that are most vulnerable, across all demographics and age groups. People who genuinely need a break."
Bring People Dancing will be an ongoing initiative. Lowe and his business partners put on more than 200 shows each year across New Zealand and are growing each year.
James and Lowe emphasise that they are not professional experts on mental health. What they want to do is try to show people who are struggling that life is worth living.
"This is so close to our hearts. The people who get to experience this, we make sure they are looked after. We want to open the lines of communication, but we're not the counsellors," James says.
"T-Stain's soul was made of gold, and he was so passionate about the right thing to do. We're all about legacy, and we know T-Stain had so much potential. Knowing that his death will save so many lives is what makes this so beautiful."
If you want to support Bring People Dancing with a donation to help with accommodation and transport costs for participants of the programme, or if you want to reach out for yourself or a loved one who is struggling, go to the foundation's Instagram page,@bringpeopledancing
ABOUT MITCH AND MITCH -the singer and manager are close friends Music promoter Mitch Lowe and his company Audiology is involved in music festivals such as Bay Dreams, Mardi Gras, Soundsplash and Area:51.
He's a director of 12 companies that run more than 200 shows annually, across a broad spectrum of artists and genres.
He also manages leading New Zealand artists and has been managing singer songwriter Mitch James for nearly four years.
"Mitch is obviously a well-known Kiwi singer, who just goes from strength to strength each year and has reached international success. His current single Sunday Morning has been all over the airwaves this summer. I reckon this is just the beginning for him knowing what we've got planned. I know his time is coming," says Lowe.
Mitch James on stage at Bay Dreams in Mount Maunganui in January. Photo/ Jack Neale
"When I first met him, I sat down and had a chat with him about music. He said is music my A, B, C and D. It's mine too. We quickly found that we not only share the same views on music but on life and philosophies and beliefs. We are both cut from the same cloth, have big dreams, and believe in The Secret / The Law of Attraction." (The New Thought philosophy, the Law of Attraction, is the belief positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person's life.)
"At the end of that first meeting, he said he wanted me to be his manager and I just said, you're my artist. Mitch has been on an outrageous trajectory and we're doing some great business. He has co-written a new record called Coffee with fellow Kiwi artist Thomas Oliver.
"We've just signed Mitch to Ed Sheeran's team and will be working closely with Ed's international agent, John Ollier, who is part of his A Team. I would never say it's a given, but a collab with Ed Sheeran is something I'd love to see come to fruition one day."
The details Mitch James live this summer February 1: Supporting Six60 @ SATURDAYS tour, New Plymouth. February 22: Supporting Six60 @ Western Springs Stadium, Auckland. March 7: Supporting Six60 @ SATURDAYS tour, Dunedin. March 21: Jim Beam Homegrown, Wellington Waterfront. There will also be a single release, followed by an album in the middle of the year.
Mitch Lowe also manages New Zealand rock band Written By Wolves and has assisted with the release of a remake of the Gumboot song for an upcoming New Zealand-wide tour on mental health by Mike King. More on that in an upcoming indulge.
What is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?
Bring People Dancing gets its name from BPD, or Borderline Personality Disorder, which the organisers' friend Callan Umbers lived with. Mitch James and Mitch Lowe believe BPD is not as understood as anxiety and depression, but say "it is a common issue that many people deeply struggle with."
BPD is a pattern of having unstable relationships, having difficulty controlling emotions and thoughts, and behaving recklessly or impulsively. Overall, 10 different types of personality disorder have been identified. A diagnosis of personality disorder is only made where the person's problems result in significant difficulty in their day to day activities and relationships or cause significant distress.
A personality disorder such as BPD shows up by late adolescence or early adulthood. It remains relatively stable throughout adult life and can gradually improve with increasing age. This is in contrast to many other mental health conditions, which come and go over time, with periods of illness interspersed with periods of wellness.
The risk of suicide in people who experience a personality disorder is significant. If you are having any suicidal thoughts, seek help immediately.
Source: Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
Do you need help? If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111. Or if you need to talk to someone else: •0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7) •www.lifeline.org.nz/services/suicide-crisis-helpline •YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 •NEED TO TALK? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7) •KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7) •WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1-11pm) •DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 or text 4202
