There is no denying that the discussion surrounding mental health in Ireland is ever-evolving. We have come to terms with the fact that people are suffering, and now the mental health discourse has shifted to a newer model of greater awareness and understanding. It is clear that things are changing but there is so much more to be done. One thing is for sure, the future is unwritten and it is up to us collectively to write it.
Looking back on my own journey and work with the Anyone’s Brother campaign which was as a result of the loss of my wife Cat’s brother Caoilte to suicide and the surrounding dual diagnostic issue, it often seems that change can come crushingly slowly. It’s only when we take a step back and can look at a thing in a wider lens that we notice that the rate of change isn’t as slow as it feels. In any case, to realise just how much can be achieved, it is worth acknowledging the change that has come before.
We must look at things like the various brilliant advocates and charity groups, the countless awareness campaigns, the formation of Mental Health Reform, the likes of Mental Health First Aid training and more recently, the announcement of the new Youth Mental Health Taskforce. By token of these things even existing, we can hold hope for that aforementioned unwritten future, and we can hold squarely in our hand the ink with which to pen that unwritten future, together.
We live in uncertain times and this can feed anxiety and despair. However it’s important to acknowledge that however slowly it might seem, things are changing.
I am delighted to help coordinate and MC the first ever dedicated mental health stage at Electric Picnic. The A Lust For Life stage will, aptly, be located in Mindfield, specifically in the Theatre Tent from 7pm – 10pm each evening of Electric Picnic. The idea of even having a dedicated mental health space at Electric Picnic speaks volumes about the importance of this issue.
When thinking about the term mental health, it is often understandably easy to get caught up thinking about a myriad of failings and issues that have become synonymous with the term over the past number of years. It is vital that we keep pushing and keep challenging for things to change for the better and we must also however remember why we are doing it, that is, to bring about a world where we all can find or maintain our own lust for life. A Lust For Life celebrates this notion of having a lust for life, while recognising the often painful journey that this entails and the need for proper services, supports and solidarity.
In our tent at Electric Picnic we are offering workshops and panels that will foster discussion and debate aimed at challenging, provoking and inspiring new thinking and action on mental health.
The tent will feature workshops from psychologists Joe Geary and Gerry Hussey. Joe, a humour research psychologist – will be delivering a workshop titled Taking Humour Seriously where he will offer a slightly different take on the use of comedy for your own mental health, and his workshop will feature interactive games with the audience where they will be challenged to think about and apply comedy to their own lives in a way they may not have considered before.
Gerry, an Elite Performance Psychologist just home from the Olympics will host a powerful workshop titled ‘The Performance of a Lifetime‘ where he will guide the audience through the keys to unlocking their full potential and how not to put things like ‘success’ and ‘happiness’ on the back burner.
The tent will also feature a panel discussion with the participants from RTÉ2’s acclaimed documentary Ironmind, where the participants Orla Connolly, Colm McCormack, Jade Hoynes and Mark Foley will discuss their experience making this incredible show, and what it was like for them to be guided through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy while also training for a half Iron Man. This panel will be chaired by Gerry Hussey.
Another exciting panel discussion is to be chaired by Sinéad Burke (who runs the Minnie Melange blog), where she will discuss with Anna Cosgrave (Founder of the Repeal Project), Caroline Downey (President of The ISPCC and Childline) and Edel McGinley (Director of the Migrants Rights Centre Ireland) how they manage to mind their minds while ‘rocking the system’ through their advocacy work.
Our final panel takes place on Sunday the 4th of September, at 7pm. This panel is titled The Future is Unwritten. This panel will look at among other things how we can join the dots between the various medical professionals and services, movements, advocacy groups, campaigners, departments and Ministers to co-create the mental health service we need and deserve. This panel will be chaired by Róisín Ingle from the Irish Times and sitting on the panel will be the Minister for Health Simon Harris TD, Tomás Ó Ruairc (Director of the Teaching Council), Dr. Malie Coyne (Clinical Psychologist) and Brian Higgins (Pieta House CEO).
We are pleased to say that we have Mental Health First Aid Ireland on board with us for the weekend. Mental Health First Aid offers a model of mental health first aid training that supports people in crisis.
We will also have music and dancing from DJ Colm McCormack (from the Ironmind crew) and some brilliant spot prize giveaways. People can follow the happenings on our social media accounts with the #lustforlife and #ep16 hashtags.
There’ll also be one or two mystery guests popping in to say hello.
So, if you’re at Electric Picnic this weekend, come join us!
Full schedule for the A Lust For Life stage – Theatre Tent from 7pm – 10pm every evening in Mindfield:
Friday, September 2nd:
7pm – PANEL: IRONMIND Q&A with Elite Performance Psychologist Gerry Hussey
8.30pm – WORKSHOP: TAKING HUMOUR SERIOUSLY with Comedy Research Psychologist Joe Geary
(Mental Health First Aid here throughout the evening)
Saturday, September 3rd:
7pm – WORKSHOP: THE PERFORMANCE OF A LIFETIME with Elite Performance Psychologist Gerry Hussey
8.30pm – PANEL: MINDING YOUR MIND – WHEN YOU’RE NOT JUST ROCKING THE CRADLE BUT ROCKING THE SYSTEM with Sinéad Burke
(Mental Health First Aid here throughout the evening)
Sunday, September 4th:
7pm – PANEL: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN with Róisín Ingle
(Mental Health First Aid here throughout the evening)
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