Leamington production company creates format where men can discuss their mental health journeys

YouNeek Productions created ‘Let’s Talk’ with Emotionally Connected – a group environment where six men share their own stories and experiences with a clinical psychologist.

The team has been filming sessions in Warwick and from each session they will make several episodes.

Luke Evans, creative director alongside Richard Bradley (also a BAFTA award-winning director) at YouNeek Productions, said: “The men have volunteered to step forward and use this format, all with their own unknown stories that they are looking to grow from.

“Many people experience the term ‘you need to talk more’, but rarely with a follow up of how.

“Our format provides these conversations for these six strangers, but long term we want it to be showcased to a wider audience.”

After the first two sessions Dr Suzanne Brown from Emotionally Connected said: “I’m actively noticing defences and encouraging them to abandon these in favour of deeper connection to themselves and others.

"I’m intentionally introducing psychological theory and concepts in a way that’s easily understood and accessible so that the participants can formulate their experiences and those watching the series can also begin to gain more of an understanding if similar concepts arise.”

Talking about what inspired the sessions, Luke said: “Both myself and Richard are quite sensitive souls, in touch with our emotions and talk freely and confidently about things.

“But it was with the birth of my daughter in July 2022, where for a difficult five days following that birth, the idea came from.

“The birth was complicated and scary with too many emotions to digest for both me and my wife. Richard has encountered these types of feelings previously too.

“She had borne the physical pain of it all, as well as the mental so I needed to be there for her first and foremost.

“Only with a small amount of time did I realise there is very little by way of a man to share their emotions in this situation.

“I learned that each of my close male friends had also been through some form of tragedy that they then wanted to share. It was strange, by me opening up to them, it allowed them to open up back.

“When discussing this with Richard and Suzanne, we thought how powerful it is, for one man to talk, that then allows another too. The domino effect of that could be massive.”

YouNeek Productions and Emotionally Connected then set out to make a format where men could talk.

Luke added: “We fleshed out how it could be a genuine format that could work visually, but also ethically, and believed we had something.

“Dr Suzanne Brown is an absolute expert in her field and we’d been working together for the previous 12 months.”

The team bring together a crew to create the episodes and they are also funding the project.

“Our time, the crew and the other bits involved in a production are being funded from within the company,” said Luke.

“The venue is doing the same. Phil at Ronnie’s of Warwick gave us the space to hold the sessions, so we want to give him a massive thank you.”

The sessions will soon be uploaded to Let’s Talk YouTube channel @letstalkprod