Stop. Read.

Hidden. adjective. Kept out of sight, concealed.

Breathe. Think.

‘Hidden’ challenges you to take a walk in another person’s shoes and consider what you can do to help.

Through a series of immersive audio, film and live theatre productions, ‘Hidden’ brings to life people’s experience of a particular health or social issue.

Each episode is co-produced with professional artists, partners in research, health and social care, and people with lived experience of a particular topic, for example, dementia, mental health illness, financial exploitation or domestic abuse. Together, they collaboratively use their creativity, knowledge and imaginations to produce a fictional story inspired by real issues they have experienced.

But this is just the start…!

Made By Mortals use ‘Hidden’ as a catalyst for discussion with other people with lived experience of a particular episode’s health or social care topic. These conversations are edited into ‘additional audio’ packages that provide further insight into the real situations people are facing in our communities.

Using the additional audio alongside the main ‘Hidden’ episodes, the programme is being used to innovate in Public & Patient Involvement & Engagement (PPIE) and bring about positive change in health and social care. We achieve this through the co-production of interactive events, training workshops and free resources which encourage people to consider changes they will make to their practice to help the characters they have met. Please take a look at our Theory Of Change.

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Hidden Episodes

Below are the co-produced immersive case studies: a mixture of audio, film and live theatre productions. When you watch/listen to these, you will meet a character at a point of crisis and be asked to take a walk in their shoes.

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‘Hidden – Adam’s Story’ is an immersive podcast that challenges audiences to walk in the shoes of a young person struggling with mental health.

“In a few moments you will enter an avatar and become Adam. Adam’s life will become your responsibility. You will have the controls. You have the headset. Help him survive, strive even”.

Adam has just turned 18. Mum is now even more in the dark. Sean, Adam’s key worker, feels like a failure. Adam wants to be referred to adult services, will they take him?

The podcast uses the imaginations and experiences of ‘real people’ and asks you to question what you can do to help.

This episode tells the love story of two characters, Ruby and Dennis, who are husband and wife. Ruby lives with dementia and Dennis cares for her. The story explores the challenges they face in staying active, doing some of the things they used to love, and enjoying their lives separately and together.

It has been created by people with lived experience of dementia or caring for people with dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), in collaboration with professional musicians, writers and health and social care partners. You will hear the voices of real people who are living with dementia. All the men’s voices play the character Dennis, all the women’s voices play Ruby.

This episode has been used to create a learning resource and training programme for people who wish to make their service, group, organisation or venue more dementia friendly. You can find out more and download these resources here.

Kerri’s Story is an immersive audio experience performed and created by people with lived experience of domestic abuse.

“Listener, I invite you to sit at a table. Rest. Exhale fully. It’s Friday night, the end of a long week, you can relax. Have fun…”

Kerri is 37 years old. She’s a mother to 3 young boys and lives in a 2 bedroomed council house. Together, we will step into Kerri’s world. Take a walk in her shoes.

This is Yousef’s story. Yousef is 41. He lives apart from his family, on his own in a bedsit. He has a mental health condition and experiences psychotic thoughts. Through listening to this you will learn things about Yousef’s life before COVID19 and during his time in social isolation.

“Sometimes the voices tell him what to do, often he can’t work out what they mean, or what they say, or what his options are…”

‘Hidden’ has been created by people with lived experience of mental health illnesses, using equipment they have had to hand during social isolation.

In this immersive audio experience, you will meet Raven and learn about their story. Raven is non-binary. They live alone in a bedsit and no longer have contact with their family. Raven has a history of mental health issues.

“I feel guilty telling you that I’m not your daughter… I’m still your child though.”

Made by Mortals have used this episode in online workshops for young people aged 16-25 to discuss and debate the challenges raised in the audio experience.

Through listening to this and using your own home as a theatrical set, you will immerse yourself into the world of somebody who has been the victim of a loan shark.

“Think. How do you feel when you’re consumed with worry?”

During this experience you are in your own home, but you will be asked to believe you are somewhere else, someone else or with someone else. You will be asked to see things with your own eyes and with your own imagination.

We like to share the impact, learning and resources connected to the Hidden episodes and the projects they are a part of. This includes staff training projects, workshops and events for health and social care partners and University researchers. It also features additional audio packages of people with associated lived experience. To download these free resources and listen to the additional audio please visit our Hidden Resources page by clicking below.

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