Extra Credit Event 5: Ken Wells: The Center Cannot Hold

Recently, I attended the Ken Wells: The Center Cannot Hold conference that was hosted by Elyn Saks, Professor Vesna, and Kenneth Wells. During it, they discussed the translation of the difficulties with dealing with mental health into a form of expressive art such as music. In particular, they discussed the process of transitioning Elyn Sak's memoir, The Center Cannot Hold, into an opera. The memoir follows Elyn through her early life and how she is living with and surviving mental illness. Kenneth Wells translated this personal and empowering story of Elyn into an opera in hopes of not only bringing light to the difficulties but also empathizing with the struggles of mental health.

Image of Elyn Saks and Kenneth Wells 

Art, and in this case, opera, provides a platform to tell the stories of individuals who may not be able to express themselves otherwise. Art has the power to move people, while science and law help understand individuals' needs and desires. Elyn's experience of being restrained for multiple days during her time at university was expressed powerfully through the opera, allowing her to share her story in a powerful way that also reflected the real emotions she had felt at the time. She views her situation as an opportunity for growth and is pleased that her experience was accurately portrayed since it conveys the realness of her difficulties directly to the audience.

An image of the scene from the Opera showcasing the struggles Elyn faced

I feel as if this ties beautifully into what we have discussed all quarter about how art holds this ability to convey such raw emotion, and it can do this in parallel with disciplines such as science as well as law. Expression through opera gives more understanding to viewers about stigma around psychosis and mental health problems and allows them to relate to what many people struggle with in hopes of increasing not only understanding about mental health but also compassion for individuals struggling with forms of psychosis.

Citations 

Saks, E. (n.d.). Elyn Saks. TED. https://www.ted.com/speakers/elyn_saks 

The center cannot hold: A Chamber Opera. UCLA Center for Health Services and Society. (2021, August 1). https://hss.semel.ucla.edu/tcch/ 

Vesna, Victoria. “Human Body & Medical Technology Part 1.”