Mark Titchner's Someone, worded with local men's groups, is now on the former Forum wall in Exchange Square, Chester, to get men talking about mental health.
A public artwork asking men to talk about their mental health went up in Exchange Square today. Someone, by Turner Prize-nominated artist Mark Titchner, fills a wall of the former Forum building near Chester Market, and the Lord Mayor of Chester, Cllr Margaret Parker, unveiled it, Cheshire West and Chester Council said.
The words were not written by the artist alone. Titchner worked with men’s groups across the borough to coproduce the wording and the concept, and the text is based on their conversations about care and connection. Read from the top, the tall panel says: “Someone to be there for me. Someone to ask if I’m OK. Someone to listen to me. Someone to help me be open. Someone I can really talk to. Someone to let me know I’m not alone. Someone to believe in me. Someone who cares.”
Why the council commissioned it
Someone is part of Breaking the Stigma, a borough-wide arts project led by the council. The council says it began the project because men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, both across the UK and locally.
Cllr Lisa Denson, the council’s Cabinet Member for A Fairer Future (Poverty, Public Health and Mental Health), championed the project. She said:
“The rates of male suicide within the UK, as well as our borough, have identified the need to take a different approach to encouraging men to reach out.
“The aim of the campaign is to remove the stigma of asking for help and encourage all of us to keep an eye out for each other.
“Asking ‘how are you?’, and meaning it, can mean so much more. A conversation can save someone’s life. We can all be that ‘Someone’ referred to here.”
What the artist and the men said
Titchner spoke at a launch and awareness event in the square. He said:
“Since the summer of 2025, it has been my privilege to meet with men and men’s groups in Cheshire West and Chester, hear their stories and experiences, and share ideas about how art could highlight urgent issues around men’s mental health and contribute to greater public awareness.
“I have been struck by the generosity and openness of the people I have worked with, and the experience has been both inspiring and humbling. What is clear is that these issues affect people from all backgrounds and walks of life and that small, caring interactions can make a significant difference to those experiencing difficulties.”
Jim, from Chester Football Club, was one of the men who worked with him. He said:
“As the city’s football club, we have a role to play in supporting our community and helping to break down the stigma around men’s mental health and suicide.
“We know that many of our supporters, and people across our community, will have their own experiences of mental health challenges. We want men in Chester, and beyond, to talk about how they’re feeling, ask for help when they need it and look out for each other.
“Having this artwork in a prominent public space is a great way to get the message out there, by encouraging people to stop, think and start conversations, and remind men that support is always available.”
The Lord Mayor said after the unveiling:
“It really is such an important project. Hearing from just some of the men who have coproduced it really brings it home to you.
“What I will take away from this is how we all need to have those conversations with each other and be that someone that everyone needs. If this artwork helps even one person start a conversation or reach out for help when they need it, then it will have made a real difference.”
What it means for you
The artwork is on the wall of the former Forum building in Exchange Square, a short walk from Chester Market and the Town Hall. A panel beside it lists where to find mental health support, and the council says bookmarks carrying the artwork are available in neighbouring businesses, with support details printed on the back.
If you, or someone you know, is in a mental health crisis or emergency, the council’s advice is to go to 111.nhs.uk and click “mental health help”, or call 111 and choose the mental health option. Hub of Hope lists local and national services.
The council also points to free suicide awareness training for individuals and organisations from the Zero Suicide Alliance, which it says teaches the skills and confidence to have a potentially life-saving conversation with someone you are worried about.
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