Connections - a short film
Filmed across three days in central London, Connections invited people young and old to write a message of hope for someone who may be finding things difficult.
Filmed across three days in central London, Connections invited people young and old to write a message of hope for someone who may be finding things difficult.
Great Mental Health Day 
Suicide prevention 
Video resource
Updated: 26/01/2024
About Connections
Filmed across three days in central London, Connections invited people young and old to write a message of hope for someone who may be finding things difficult.
The film also features several dancers who display their message through dance and creative movement against a London landscape.
Speaking about the film, Beth Evans, founder of Messages of Hope, said:
“Connections explores how we can find hope through connection. We set out to capture Londoners writing messages of hope for people struggling with their mental health and we discovered just how connected we truly are.
“Connections is proof that somebody out there really does care about you. None of us are alone.”
Connections was produced by Messages of Hope and The Speakers Collective to mark Great Mental Health Day. The project was funded by the Mayor of London. The project was commissioned and supported by Thrive LDN.
The Making of Connections
Watching the Making of Connections
You can watch The Making of Connections below or via YouTube.
Discussion Guide
We have produced a Connections Film – Discussion Guide to support partners screen the film with groups and utilise it as a tool to support wider conversations about connection, how we can connect and support each other’s mental health.
We have designed the guide to support a small group activity and would take around 45-60 minutes depending on the depth of discussion.
Downloadable resources
Download the films
You can download Connections and The Making of Connections to support playing the films without access to the internet for group activities.
Connections (Google Drive download)
Download a collection of still images from the film
Still images were taken by photographer Meg Ellis.
Download a collection of Connections colouring pages
Connections at City Lit
City Lit, an adult education college in Holborn, central London, has gifted their exhibition space to mark the launch of Connections.
For one week only you will be able to view still images taken by photographer Meg Ellis during the making of the film and write your own messages of hope
You can visit the gallery for free from Friday, 26 January to Monday, 5 February 2024 at City Lit.
Further resources
Further resources that you may find helpful are listed below.
You may also find Thrive LDN’s Help Yourself and Others section of the website helpful in bringing together ideas, inspiration and resources to help build your resilience and improve wellbeing and to learn from community experiences.
Conversations starter ideas for children and young people, parents, and carers
Thrive LDN’s mental health conversation starter tool is helping Londoners to engage with friends, family, neighbours or they support in the community or workplace about good mental health, wellbeing and financial worries.
Co-developed with London’s digital wellbeing service, Good Thinking, and with pupils and teachers at St Mary’s RC Primary School, Wimbledon, the guides will help encourage a gentle and supportive conversation. Access the guides on Good Thinking’s website.
Children’s Mental Health Week (5-11 February 2024)
Launched in 2015, Children’s Mental Health Week is an event led by children’s mental health charity Place2Be in February. This event aims to highlight the importance of looking after our emotional wellbeing from an early age. Now in its 10th year, the theme for 2024 is ‘My Voice Matters’.