UNMASKED

A Men’s Resilience and Reset Experience

What Is UnMasked?

Most events ask you to show up. UnMasked asks you to show up as yourself.

It is a space designed for men who have built something — a career, a life, a reputation — and are quietly wondering what it's all actually for. Not a conference. Not a retreat. Something closer to the best conversation you've ever had, scaled up and given a full day.

Picture this: cold plunges at dawn, parkour, live music, fireside conversations, speakers who have lived it — not just studied it — and the kind of honest exchanges that usually only happen at 2am. Multiple spaces. Multiple conversations. You choose what you need.

The serious stuff and the fun stuff in the same place, on the same day. Because men who are done compartmentalising deserve a space that isn't either.

The experience unfolds across four elements: Fire, Air, Earth and Water. Each exploring a different dimension of how men handle pressure, responsibility and growth.

Four elements. One stronger operating system.

"Why are you doing this?"

It's a question I've been asked more than once.

Usually with genuine curiosity. Occasionally with a little scepticism.

The truth is, I'd never thought about supporting men's wellbeing being only men's work.

I've watched men I care about quietly carry more than anyone realised. I've seen the cost of isolation, pressure and the expectation to simply "keep going." And at UnMasked, I watched men share stories they'd never spoken aloud before. Some with tears in their eyes. None of that leaves you unchanged.

The launch of Building Bridges feels significant.

It's a framework developed by women-led organisations alongside men's organisations, recognising something I've believed for a long time: helping men thrive isn't about men versus women. It's about all of us having a stake in creating spaces where men feel safe enough to be human.

That isn't about speaking for men.

It's about standing with them.

The people who create change aren't always the people with the loudest voice. Sometimes they're the people willing to hold space without needing to own it.

"Can a woman work in men's wellbeing?" If we're serious about improving men's wellbeing, we need more bridges and fewer sides.

I'm hopeful that's the direction we're finally starting to move.

Work With Us
Two men are engaged in a conversation at a casual indoor event, with one man wearing a brown t-shirt and sunglasses hanging on his chest, and the other in a blue shirt. Several people are seated in the background.
A young man with short dark hair and light facial hair is holding a smartphone in a busy indoor environment, smiling and looking at the camera.
A young man is laughing while sitting in a chair, and a woman with blonde hair and a black blazer is smiling as though a joke has been made, in a lively social setting with others in the background.

All UnMasked event photos on this page were taken courtesy of Annapaola Marchesani - https://nocturnaphotography.com/

A man with long dark hair speaking into a microphone during a presentation in a modern indoor setting.

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Thanks for making 2026 a Success!

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Join The Priority Waitlist for the next UnMasked

〰️ Thanks for making 2026 a Success! 〰️ Join The Priority Waitlist for the next UnMasked

The UnMasked Experience

Will Be Back!

Join the Priority Waitlist

13 June 2026. This is what happened.

50 attendees. 4 hours. 5 volunteers. Republic, East India Dock, London.

It was an afternoon of honest conversation by our powerful storytelling and expert panellists, with real perspectives on modern masculinity, mental health and the pressure men carry quietly.

It was thoughtful ( with special guest experts including The Man Whisperer Kenny Mammarella D’Cruz) leading the charge, immersive moments, good music, strong energy and the buzz in the room! What an experience for a small first year festival.

Continuing from UnMasked: 100 Men, One Free Session: Solution-Focused Therapy

What we're doing

We've partnered with therapist and coach Ashley Croker on the 100 Men Project — a simple mission to get 100 men into a therapy room in 2026 who otherwise never would have gone. Every session is free, 30 minutes, solution-focused, and there's no waitlist and no assessment form standing in the way.

Why

Because the biggest barrier for men isn't cost, or time, or even stigma anymore — it's the first step. Most men who try one session of solution-focused work say the same thing: it's not what they expected. It's not about excavating your childhood for an hour and leaving drained. It starts from what's already working and builds from there — which is a different, lighter way in. 🎧. SOUND ON ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

This isn't about needing to be broken to qualify for support. It's about giving men permission to try it once, with zero pressure to come back, no upsell, and no gatekeeping.

What men need to do

Nothing complicated:

  1. Book a free 30-minute session directly with Ashley — no forms, no waitlist.

  2. Show up as you are. One conversation, that's the whole ask.

  3. Decide for yourself what happens next. If you want to stop there, you stop there. If you want to keep going, that door's open too.

SPEAK WITH ASHLEY CROCKER TODAY ABOUT HIS SESSIONS, USING THE QR CODE ON THE VIDEO!

Read the Article

“The Room Everyone Said Wouldn't Fill”

Ashley Johnson, panellist on the Earth element at UnMasked wrote an article with his insight into what made UnMasked so worthy. Read about his experience.

Read Ashley Johnson's UnMasked Article

A Reflection Wall of attendees thoughts on the day captured the feeling of the room, Here’s what was said, in their words:

Voices from that Afternoon

Surprise Artwork

“Human Energy”

What happens when an artist stops thinking and just feels? Riccardo Sai did exactly that — and what he captured at UnMasked says more about play, presence, and human connection than any how-to guide ever could.

At the UnMasked event, Riccardo sat quietly in the room and drew. Not portraits. Not polished illustrations. Pure instinct — faces merging into faces, energy becoming line, a room full of strangers becoming something that looked, somehow, like one thing.

When I asked him what he was trying to capture when he drew it, he said: “I’m not sure it counts as an emotion exactly, but I think what I felt most was a sense of freedom and joy.”

That’s play. Not performance. Not productivity. Just a person fully present, letting something move through them.

If this piece had a title, he said it would be “Human Energy.” I think that says everything.

How “An Audience With A Tree” Travelled To UnMasked

Robbie Sloan, convinced me early on in developing UnMasked that he had a truly transformational piece that would work beautifully within our Earth element. I put alot of trust in someone I didn’t event know. The result? Just read his article where he shares what people told him…

Read Robbie Sloan's UnMasked article in 'The Rewilded Mind'

Thank You to the participants who were part of UnMasked 2026.

For questions on how to get involved for our next UnMasked contact Chantelle Swaby: hello@thethrivewellhub.com

The UnMasked Experience

Will Be Back…

Join the Priority Waitlist

"Chantelle created something rare: a room where men felt safe enough to be honest about who they are and who they've been."

Fenton Cayless, CameThru

Four men in a casual setting, one black man on the left side, the middle man is asian man.with one seated in front wearing a checkered black and grey top and beige trousers and three men standing behind him with their arms around each other, smiling.

01 / Fire Element

The Fire That Shaped Us
With the noted Man Whisperer Kenny Mammarella D'Cruz, this fireside session invited openness, reflection and real human connection with the men from MenSpeak

A group of people attending a panel discussion or presentation in a modern, well-lit room with glass walls, framed artwork, and potted plants. Four panelists are seated at the front, two men, one wearing an orange jacket and one holding a microphone, and two women, with one wearing a black jacket and another in a lace dress. The audience is seated in rows facing the panel, with some people wearing dark clothing and others in patterned or colorful outfits.

02 / Air Element

The ‘Real Connection ‘Panel

Communication, clarity and influence.

A dynamic panel shared practical insights on how to communicate confidently and effectively, offering perspectives men could consider and relate to in their work and relationships.

A black and white photo of a panel discussion during the event titled 'Unmasked' with several men sitting and engaging, audience is clapping, the panel takes place in a modern indoor space with large glass windows and artwork on the walls.

03 / Earth Element

Becoming a Rock Panel Discussion
‍This was all about building strength and resilience. When pressure lands, five men retold their lived experience about become the rock for themselves and others

An Audience with a Tree
A grounding experiential talk on what it takes to remain steady when life demands more from you.

A man with long dark hair and tattoos on his arm, wearing a black shirt, sitting on a blue chair, speaking into a microphone at an event titled "Unmasked" with a colorful poster behind him, flanked by green potted plants.

04 / Water Element

Release and Flow

Through guided reflection and gentle movement, Dan Silvestri created a safe space to release tension, reset the nervous system, and reconnected each person to themself in a simple, human way.

A man standing behind his food stall at a table with his hands clasped under his chin, wearing a black cap and black t-shirt, behind which are stacks of aluminum foil-wrapped items, and cans of Fanta and Coca-Cola in the foreground that he is selling
A man in a plaid shirt and beige cap sitting at a wooden table, looking at colored pens and rocks on the table with a background of wooden walls and greenery outside.
Three people are engaged in a conversation in an indoor setting; a woman and a man with a backpack are talking to a man sitting in a wheelchair, with large potted plants and a white wall in the background.
Five people sitting on a panel in a discussion at the UnMasked event, with an audience in front, in a modern indoor space with plants and colorful artwork on the wall.
People standing in two rows facing each other, engaged in a competitive game at UnMasked involving small red cups placed on the floor, that they need to quickly pick up and with some participants smiling and interacting.
Two men hugging each other warmly during a gathering, one holding a microphone, in the unMasked room with a glass cabinet and green plants in the background.
A purple vertical banner with the text "Welcome to Unmasked at the entry to the venue. The sign says "you good? Be honest." in a large font at an indoor event space, with people seated and standing in the background facing away from the banner.
A group of people attending UnMasked, with a focus on a man in the foreground who appears emotional, holding his face with both hands and eyes closed.
A black woman and a black child sitting at a table with the child their hair braided by the woman, who is also talking to another black lady facing the camer, all engaged in a creative hair braiding activity at UnMasked event.
People making unmasked happen at UnMasked, standing around a table with cups, a coffee urn, and informational signs in front of a painted brick wall with logos and a message of thank you.
A woman with long hair, glasses, and a patterned dress holding a microphone and smiling during event. A man with long hair, black shirt, reading from a folder. People in the foreground are taking photos. There are plants, a banner with colorful graphics, and a white brick wall in the background.
A man with glasses and curly hair is smiling while holding a microphone in one hand and a phone in the other. He is at Unmasked event in front of a large screen displaying a blue and white image, with plants and colorful decorations around him.
A smiling man in a black and white varsity jacket giving a thumbs-up, standing next to a smiling woman wearing a colorful headscarf and green jacket inside a brightly lit cafe or restaurant.
A bearded man pictured from behind green foliage, with a short haircut, wearing a dark t-shirt, sitting and speaking into a microphone during the unMasked event.
Two illustrated cards on a wooden surface, one with a tree and the words "Earth rooted in the present" and the other with a phoenix and the words "Fire, hand of the spirit".

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