Newcastle Arts Festival To Promote Mental Health Events in October

Newcastle Arts Festival (NAF) are hosting an afternoon of arts events as part of the Launch weekend (10-13 October 2013) for the first ever Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts and Film Festival which will take place in May 2014.

Geraldine McDonald, a Newcastle Arts Festival spokesperson, said: “The proposed festival is based on the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film festival who have mentored the steering group set up to establish a similar model in Northern Ireland.

“A range of organisations are represented on the group whose aims are:

*   to develop a more positive attitude to Mental Health issues through arts and film;

*   to address issues of stigma and discrimination:

*   to create an umbrella structure that will archive work that has already been produced.

“It is anticipated that such a forum will open up discussion focussing on wellbeing, influence political discourse, break down barriers to education and empower service users and enable social change.

“NAF hope to facilitate this change in South Down and will be participating in the festival next year. We hope to raise awareness of the aims and objectives of the NIMHAFF particularly with those individuals and organisations responsible for Mental Health locally and to attract funding in support of this initiative.

“Everyone is welcome to come along at anytime and learn about the festival, join in the taster sessions or simply have a cup of tea and a chat.”

Programme

2pm-5pm     Drop in Session designed to explore the relationship between the Arts and good mental

health.

2pm-2.45pm Introduction to creative writing.  Booking advised

3pm-3.45pm Introduction to creative writing.  Booking advised

6pm-7pm     Dr. Patricia Canning will explore the ways in which shared reading creates opportunities to experience and interrogate life in a relaxed and informal environment.

For Further information, to register for the Creative writing session or to join readlivelearn please contact Newcastle Arts Festival on 07793289056 or 07856094231.Or you can contact Dr Canning directly at patricia@readlivelearn.com

We would like to invite you to come along, in particular to join the Shared reading, experiential session and to learn more about the 2014 festival.