The Healing Power of the Beat: How Fatboy Slim is Saving Lives with DJ Workshops

Norman Cook, the global superstar DJ known as Fatboy Slim, is famous for making entire crowds dance to anthems like “Right Here, Right Now.” But today, the 62-year-old artist is making his biggest impact not in Ibiza, but in community venues and psychiatric settings across Sussex. Cook is personally bankrolling and teaching DJ workshops designed as a therapeutic intervention for individuals battling severe mental health conditions, an initiative that partners with the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and the charity Heads On.

From Battle to Beats: Cook’s Personal Journey

This project is deeply personal for Cook, who spent years struggling with alcohol addiction, which he describes as being a “drugged-up lunatic in the 1990s,” before achieving 14 years of sobriety following a 2009 rehab program in Bournemouth. He saw music as his own way out and is now paying that forward, believing that “Music is therapy. Music is medicine.” Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist Natalie Rowlands confirms the profound effect of the program: “We’ve encountered individuals who were suicidal… and they’ve participated in these workshops and found inspiration.” Participants, some dealing with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, have called it “life-saving.”

The Science of the Mix

The Fatboy Slim DJ Workshop Programme has delivered over 30 sessions, teaching the craft of mixing music in both community settings and inpatient hospitals. This is far more than a PR stunt; Cook and professional DJs from groups like Audio Anonymous/Atomic Drop show up to teach. The act of DJing—specifically beatmatching—requires intense focus, engaging multiple cognitive functions like attention, memory, and motor coordination. Research backs this up, suggesting the cognitive demands of the practice can help quiet the intrusive thoughts associated with severe mental illness.

The success stories are inspiring. Participant Jessica Button described the experience as “the best experience of my life,” calling music “a magical healing tool.” On September 24, 2024, 13 participants performed live alongside Cook himself at a spectacular event called Sound Minds, a powerful public demonstration of recovery. Following its success, the program has been extended through October 2025 thanks to Cook’s ongoing financial commitment. In a world where mental health services are constantly stretched, this direct, creative intervention is a shining example of what happens when resources are channeled to approach recovery differently. As Heads On Charity Director Rachael Duke notes, it shows what can be achieved “when we approach things differently.”