Group's mission to tackle 'male shame'

A group of university graduates are encouraging men to open up about their mental health with the release of a new song.

Run From The Skin Which Binds Us was written by University of the West of England (UWE) filmmaking graduate Louis de Schynkel, 22, and recorded by his six-piece band, Trans Siberian Express.

Mr De Schynkel said the song is about “the restrictions you give yourself as a man”.

"Instead of feeling shame of being a man, I wanted to be proud of it," he said.

The song has been commissioned as part of a joint campaign by UWE’s creative agency, New Wave, and Bristol-based mental health charity, Talk Club.

“It comes from a poem I wrote a while ago,” Mr De Schynkel told the BBC.

“I was 20 years old and questioning a lot of these things, I was getting a bit angry about the restrictions you give yourself as a man.

“There are a lot of generational barriers, and ‘toxic masculinity’ gets thrown around a lot," he added.

Mr De Schynkel, who has recently completed a masters in sound engineering, said he was sent an application through New Wave to apply for a 48-hour song challenge raising awareness of Talk Club’s message ‘How are you out of ten?’

“I applied, and won the application. I said I wanted to make it a whole project, with a music video and fundraiser," he said.

The single cover artwork has been designed by New Wave graduate employee, Molly Wilson.

A fundraising event for the single will take place in November, when one of Mr De Schynkel's friends will jump out of a plane.

Director of New Wave said the initiative was started to "provide opportunities for paid work experience on real life projects".

“We know how tough it can be for graduates to gain practical experience that will help get them on the ladder of their chosen career," said Anneliese Paul.

“We’re big fans of the work that Talk Club is doing and the impact it has had, particularly in encouraging men to open up.

"We wanted to support their work, and this single is a fantastic collaboration that will hopefully reach many people and encourage everyone to talk more about their mental health.”