One of the topics we’ve been working on in our Unknownness Laboratory is bipolar disorder, a neuropsychiatric illness characterised by alternating episodes of euphoria and depression. This condition can be very disabling, resulting in sleep disturbances, a greater propensity to develop other pathologies (particularly cardiovascular and neurological) and a major social impact on the lives of the sufferer and their family. However, this illness does not have to be seen as absolutely limiting, and it is above all important to reduce the social stigma that still surrounds this and many other mental disorders, and which often inhibits sufferers from seeking help.

It was in this context that we launched the video ‘Bipolar Disorder: Another Side‘ in September 2022, in which we addressed some issues related to this illness, in collaboration with doctors from the Coimbra Hospital and University Centre and researchers from the Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology at the University of Coimbra.

With the creation of a stage play on this theme, we intend to deepen our reflection and broaden the public impact of our artistic intervention, contributing to a generalised increase in knowledge about bipolar disorder and reducing the stigma associated with it.

This show is part of a wider range of artistic creations that we have developed in the field of Health Sciences. These have been part of the projects ‘Hearing Voices‘ (on mental health), ‘To Sleep or Not to Sleep?‘ (on obstructive sleep apnoea), ‘The Epilepsy Algorithm‘ (focused on this neurological disease) and have also been present in shows such as ‘iMmaculate‘, on contraception. As with the examples mentioned above, the script for the play ‘Oxymoron, between Solstices and Equinoxes‘ will be created from scratch as part of the collaborative work that characterises the company, based on a series of interviews with patients and health professionals.