KINDNESS was the focus of an event held at the University of Sussex.

Brighton-based charity New Note teamed up with the Kindness Research network at the university to hold a day of performances and talks on World Kindness Day on Wednesday.

Impact

Professor Robin Banerjee is head of the network, which explores the ways kindness can have an impact on people and communities.

He said: “Kindness isn’t just about individual acts.

“It’s also about creating a culture where we can come together with different perspectives, recognise and celebrate those differences and share and exchange ideas in a respectful and kind way.”

New Note uses music and storytelling to help people recover from drug and alcohol addiction.

The charity holds regular meet-ups for members to compose and play music, and aims to reduce the stigmas around alcoholism and addiction by putting on public performances.

As part of the day, the New Note orchestra premiered their performance of Kind Rebellion at the university’s

Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts.

New Note’s founder Molly Matthieson said kindness was vital for recovery from addiction and for mental wellbeing.

She said: “The reason we started this project is that people in recovery from addiction have to practise kindness

on a daily basis in order to stay sober.

“It’s based on the idea that when people come into recovery through various groups, they are fundamentally about supporting others through shared stories and experiences.

“Being kind to others is at the very heart of recovery.

“Helping each other in the early days is vital for survival, so in some ways they have had to adapt to a new way of life by being kind.”

Following the orchestra’s performance, which also included poetry, short films and

animation, a panel of

researchers gave talks on kindness, and how it could be integrated into the structure of government, communities and businesses.

Shield

Bernadette Russell, kindness campaigner and author of The Little Book Of Kindness was among the panel.

She was joined by researchers from the University of Sussex, the University of Essex and London School of Economics.

Ms Russell said: “Kindness matters now more than ever.

“It provides us with a shield to defend ourselves against fear and anxiety, which are both rife in an uncertain world.”

The New Note Orchestra will perform Kind Rebellion at the Brighthelm Centre in

Brighton on Saturday, November 30, and a panel discussion will follow.