Wellness Through Words and Music 2026- Sarah’s Review

21 May 2026 | Pleasance Theatre, Islington

Last week, I had the privilege of attending and volunteering with Hillside Clubhouse's "Wellness Through Words & Music: Echoes of Wellbeing". A full house. A full heart. And a powerful reminder of what a community can do when it truly shows up for people.

A Stage Built on Courage

From the moment host Tiwa King welcomed us and introduced Hillside, you could feel the warmth in the room. It wasn't just an audience sitting in seats, it was a community holding space for one another.

The evening unfolded beautifully. Rais Words, Heather Harrison, and Hannah Maria Stanislaus each brought something raw and real to the stage. The panel discussion that followed with Heather, Hannah, Rais, and Bill Dury was honest, unguarded, and deeply moving. You could see the care between them, the mutual respect, the shared understanding that comes from lived experience.

Christine Lewis-Oteh, who started the event and put this together two years ago gave a lovely speech. The interval gave us a chance to breathe thanks to DJ Lady Free Soul!, before Tiwa King and Charles Shittu took the stage together, followed by Bill Dury's powerful contribution.

But it was Conversations with Raabiya Soyler that truly touched me. My family and friends said it was like she lived your exact experience.

Her story of surviving workplace bullying mirrored my own experience so precisely that I felt seen. She was truly very brave and seeing how someone can heal from such experiences was so touching.

Members Taking the Stage

The Hillside Member Performances were nothing short of extraordinary. Dawn Garcia, Kristina Kazlauskaite, Robert Taylor, and Gigi Strehler, each of them stepping into the spotlight with courage. To perform, to share your story, to be that vulnerable in front of a packed theatre? That is not small. That is everything.

And then the Open Mic, where more voices joined. Every single person who stood up, whether they spoke, sang, or simply said their name, added another thread to the tapestry of the evening.

The Magic Behind the Magic

What struck me most was how seamlessly it all came together. The front-of-house team, the back-of-house crew, the panel, the host, the performers, the organisers, everyone worked in harmony. You could feel the trust between us. The shared purpose. The understanding that this was ours.

That kind of collaboration doesn't happen by accident. It happens when people genuinely care about the mission and about each other.

The Hillside Bubble

I left the Pleasance Theatre that night feeling something I haven't felt in a long time: hope. And privilege. Because I know what we have in Hillside is rare. Other boroughs, other communities, don't have this. People are suffering in silence without a clubhouse to walk into, without a stage to step onto, without a room full of people ready to catch them.

I don't know where I would be if I had never found this community. I really don't.

And maybe, just maybe, one day, I'll find the courage to get on that stage and tell my own story.

To everyone who performed, organised, supported, and showed up: thank you. You inspired me. And I'm so proud to be part of the Hillside bubble.

By Sarah (Hillside Member and Social Media Volunteer).