First major exhibition on hearing voices opens in Durham

The world's first major exhibition on hearing voices is taking place at Durham University's Palace Green Library from 5 November 2016 to 26 February 2017. Hearing Voices: suffering, inspiration and the everyday is the first exhibition of its kind to examine this experience from different cultural, clinical, historical, literary and spiritual perspectives. Challenging stigma Hearing voices, or auditory hallucinations, that other people cannot hear is often dismissed as a symptom of severe mental illness. This new free exhibition shows that it is a part of human experience that is often rich in meaning and aims to challenge the stereotypical view of voice-hearers and the stigma attached to the experience of voice-hearing. The exhibition examines the distress experienced by voice-hearers diagnosed with mental illness, while also looking at the everyday contexts in which people hear voices. It shows voice-hearers' testimonies from across the world, original artworks by young people, and voice-hearing experiences in different contexts including imaginary friends in childhood and when suffering bereavement. Step beyond stereotypes Rachel Waddingham, Chair of Intervoice, the International Hearing Voices Network, voice-hearer and contributor to the exhibition, says: "Whilst hearing voices is a relatively common human experience, many voice-hearers live their lives feeling afraid to speak out in case they are discriminated against.