After their highly acclaimed performance of the Fallen Angel Show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and sell-out shows around York, theatrical band Vesper Walk are delighted to announce the release of A Fist of Art – their highly anticipated short film, which is being entered for national and international film festivals.

Exploring the effects of mental illness, this eight-minute film combines music, theatre, dance, poetry, art and human puppetry, to explore how debilitating depression and anxiety can be. The band, which is run by York sisters Lisa-Marie Baker and Catherine Cowan says: “We feel passionately about how powerful the arts can be in coping with mental health issues. It’s sobering to think that 1 in 4 people have mental health problems at some point in their life. But engaging in the arts can help, stimulating emotional responses, improving confidence and creating positive change.”

The film has been supported and hugely praised by the national mental health charity SANE, who collaborated with Vesper Walk on the project by providing artwork from some of their very talented service users, which can be seen throughout the film.

‘A Fist of Art’ is the first short film for York videographer Allan Scott whose work to date has largely been in the commercial sector. Allan said he has loved the challenges of creative filmmaking and is inspired to continue with this type of work.

The film has been endorsed by many, including Ellen Cole who runs York’s Little Festival of Live Music. Ellen says: “Vesper Walk should be immensely proud of what they have created. The film is powerful, thought-provoking, surreal and reflects how mental ill-health can affect people in so many different ways.”

A Fist of Art is now available to watch online. To view the video for free visit: http://www.vesperwalk.co.uk/short-film