Next Right Thing
Big Help Project were invited to attend the homecoming showing of ‘One Day at a Time’ at FACT, on Wednesday 16th August. Bid Writer Megan went along to find out more about the incredible work that Damien John Kelly House does within our community, and further understand the importance of amplifying the voices of those in recovery.
“Keep doing next right thing” he says, with a noise where “the” should be in typical Yorkshire style. It’s been four years in Liverpool and yet Sam Batley’s accent still rings honest. Like everything he creates, there are no airs and graces. ‘One Day at a Time’ is no different.
Where plenty of media chooses to sensationalise the pain in addiction, Batley (collaborating with Paul Chambers and team), opted for the opposite. ‘One Day at a Time’ chooses to track recovery rather than addiction, putting Sam and Damien John Kelly (DJK) residents’ experiences front and centre. Humanity and potential are the focus, with every day being another positive step on the recovery journey.
The heartbeat of the ODAAT is Sam’s film, ‘Three Bull-mastiffs in a Corner Kitchen’, the child of his experience in DJK House and his journey in recovery. With a focus on the arts, the residential recovery centre for men, based in L15, allows Sam and many others to explore the opportunities available to them outside of addiction. So, it’s only right that those involved in the production were a part of that community, being granted an opportunity to give a voice to the world they left behind.
A film within a film, ‘One Day at a Time’ is uniquely self-aware, examining how acting and vulnerability co-exist within the lives of those having experienced addiction. Be it putting on a brave face, or lying to yourself, DJK residents are not shy in vocalising just what it was that led them to be in front of the camera. We, the audience, are trusted observers and confidants. Barriers to vulnerability are removed bit by bit, with a communal consciousness around giving thanks to those who support you and actively experiencing new opportunities.
Be it Sam picking up the camera that sat behind the glass in the charity shop, or the lads who lag at the back during a group run, there’s no judgement. These men are open in a way that most would envy. Every day they actively chose to be in recovery, and with that comes the decision to be a part of a community. A community that seems to have shed the bravado of toxic masculinity, opting for unity and vulnerability.
As PJ Smith, the centre’s recovery lead so aptly explained, “The boys need to find their personality outside of addiction”. And the house in L15 offers them the opportunity to do just that. Sports, arts and meditation offer every member of their ever-expanding community the chance to rediscover their worth and potential.
This film is a fine example of the potential that lay dormant.