Dia-Beat-Es

About

A live DJ set interspersed with personal experiences of a lifetime spent managing type 1 diabetes

Through a blend of anthems that capture the experience of Type 1 Diabetes, from Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love to The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams, performer Paul O'Donnell interweaves popular music tracks, recorded interviews and personal experience in his new rave/show. DJing throughout, Paul makes a party out of his own experience of living with the condition since aged two whilst mixing in recorded conversations with his father and cousin, both who have type 1 diabetes, as well as his mother and his sister. Dia-Beat-Es is an honest account of how in the UK 400,000 residents with type 1 diabetes battle to keep their bodies pumpin', without the possibility of ever pressing pause.
With Dia-Beat-es Paul hopes to cross-fade between motivating his crowd and managing his insulin levels in this mega-mix of sweet, sweet music dedicated to the carb counting druggies (*insulin) like him. Through thse show Paul hopes to talk about diabetes burnout, where after years of living with the 24/7 responsibility, many burn out and neglect their condition. A 2019 NHS Audit identified that a mere 20% of people with type 1 diabetes (in the UK) are meeting their doctor's three aims for improvement (2019 NHS Diabetes Audit), it is the time to start asking why, and what can be done to tackle burnout.