comedian and founder of mental health charity Frazzled, Ruby Wax, will unveil The Feeling Ceiling at Printworks Manchester – a powerful new interactive experience encouraging people to open up about their emotions in a visually immersive way.
Despite Brits spending nearly four months a year talking about the weather*, 36% never discuss their emotions**. The Feeling Ceiling aims to change that by transforming Europe’s largest digital ceiling into a dramatic, ever-changing canvas of emotional weather.
Running throughout Mental Health Awareness Week from May 12, the 115-metre-long installation will become a dramatic canvas of emotional weather, using cutting-edge visuals, lighting and sound to represent real-time emotional states – just as the sky reflects changes in the weather.
From swirling dark clouds creating the word ‘Anxious?’ and lightning bolts crackling around the word ‘Stressed?’, to falling rain forming ‘Tearful?’ and rolling fog revealing ‘Brainfog?’, the lifelike visuals will bring emotional states to life – creating a collective display that changes throughout the day.
Visitors are invited to select a digital weather symbol that reflects how they feel, which then appears overhead anonymously. Each interaction concludes with a hopeful image: a clear blue sky, inviting people to join a free chat at frazzled.uk.
Ruby Wax OBE, founder of the mental health charity Frazzled, will officially open The Feeling Ceiling at 12:00pm on May 12 and will meet with visitors to talk about the importance of talking openly about mental health.
Speaking about the initiative, Ruby commented: “We begin every Frazzled session by asking, ‘How’s the weather in your head today?’, and it gives everyone total permission to share how they’re really feeling. We feel liberated, less alone and understood when we realise that others are in the same boat.
“It’s a dream come true that our partners Revolt London and Ocean Outdoor have transformed the largest digital ceiling in Europe into ‘The Feeling Ceiling’ to illustrate the weather conditions experienced by the people of Manchester. Let’s keep sharing how we really feel and ease the burden.”
Alongside the powerful ‘Emotional Sky’ installation, Printworks is partnering with its on-site wellness provider, Nuffield Health, to host a series of free immersive Body Balance sessions on Tuesday 13th May and Wednesday 14th May, from 12:30 to 1:00pm, beneath Europe’s largest digital ceiling.
These 30-minute classes blend yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates, offering guests a chance to unwind in a calming environment surrounded by the ‘Emotional Sky’ – featuring drifting clouds, soothing soundscapes, and uplifting affirmations designed to calm the mind and lift the spirit. Taking place in the heart of the Pumpyard, this sensory experience provides a peaceful space to reset, recharge, and reconnect.
Kristian Brennan, Marketing Manager at Printworks, said: “We’re going big for Mental Health Awareness Week this year – using our unique platform to spark meaningful conversations in ways only Printworks can. From transforming Europe’s largest digital ceiling into a living emotional sky with The Feeling Ceiling, to hosting free immersive wellness classes with Nuffield Health, we’re combining tech, creativity and community to make mental health visible, accessible and supported in the heart of the city.”
