Alyssa girvan

With a first class BA in Film and History and a MA with distinction in Media and International Development, Alyssa has had an interest in documentary and social issues for years. She has made documentaries for charities such as the Refugee Council, Norfolk Congolese Association and the Refugee History Blog as well as several independent films during her studies.

Alyssa has had an interest in mental health since her teenage years, acting as a volunteer and President of the UEA branch of Nightline during University. She has worked in schools and the charity sector for several years. Alyssa recently suffered her own mental health crisis in the form of a serious depressive and suicidal episode. She is currently on the waiting list for treatment from the NHS and has been since September 2018.

Ayeshah lalloo

Ayeshah is a third year film and history student at UEA. She is the head of documentary production in the university film society and has always been drawn to cinematography. Ayeshah states 'the documentary is tackling a major problem in the NHS re: waiting times, so visualising this and representing people's stories and the extensive damage done is going to be a really interesting and personal experience'.

rebecca thompson

With a BA in Film and Television studies from UEA and receiver of the Charles Barr Prize for excellence in film studies, Rebecca brings a wealth of talent to the technical side of the documentary production. With her own freelance videography work underway, Rebecca is very excited to be involved in this much needed project. She is also a fabulous salsa dancer.

Some of Rebecca's fantastic past work can be seen on the UEA: TV website, which she was a part of during her time at university.

india edwards

India graduated in Politics from UEA in 2017. She then worked as UEA's student Welfare officer for a year, before moving to London to work for an advocacy charity. She has always had a strong interest in health and social care, and is passionate about campaigning for change within mental health support services.

olivia brazell

With an MA in Media, Culture and Society as well as a BA in Film and Television studies, there is no more perfect person to run the social media for this film. Specialising in societal issues and changes needed to eradicate social stigmas, Olivia puts the issues at the heart of the social media campaign.

In Olivia's own words 'when I heard Alyssa wanted to create this documentary I knew I needed to be a part of it. To make a documentary that will explore the reality of what living with a mental illness is like and the wait people go through to get the treatment they need I feel is what the world needs to see'.

Olivia has suffered from anxiety since childhood and has sought private therapy for her condition due to the long waiting times for NHS treatment in Norfolk.