Electric Picnic Full Line-Up

We are massively excited to be bringing you 6 powerful discussions in partnership with Pieta House in the Mindfield Arena at Electric Picnic. The six sessions were borne out of our conversations as a team, feeling into what we are witnessing daily through our work and experiencing in our own lives as the most pressing issues of our time. We will be Facebook Live-ing every session, so you can still check it out if not going to the festival. We hope it brings you nourishment.

FRIDAY SEPT 01

7pm – 8.15pm: And Still We Rise: Inside the hearts, mind and bodies of women in Ireland

The Irish Times Women’s Podcast

The Women’s Podcast in association with A Lust For Life/Pieta House at Electric Picnic 2017. Hosted by Kathy Sheridan, The Irish Times. Co-producers Roisin Ingle and Jennifer Ryan, The Irish Times and Kathy Scott, The Trailblazery.

Panel includes; Eileen Flynn (Traveller Rights Activist), Sinéad Burke (Minnie Melange), Miriam O’Callaghan (Broadcaster), Ellie Kisyombe (Direct Provision Activist), Mari Kennedy (Facilitator + Coach)

What are the issues closest to the hearts, bodies and minds of women in Ireland today? Why are some of these issues kept under lock + key? What would it feel like to talk openly about the things that women feel most uncomfortable talking about?

And Still We Rise will delve into some of the key issues facing women in Ireland today – and how they affect the mental health of these same women on a daily basis: Sexuality; Body shaming; Being a mother, Not being a mother, Losing a child; Bodily autonomy; Drowning in 24/7 careers and the need to achieve…and many more.

How can women speak the truth of their reality and do a better job of minding themselves? How can we ensure women feel free to talk openly when these conversations are often culturally off-limits – and may engender fear of witch hunting or online trolling? How well does our society authentically listen to the needs and perspectives of women – and what solutions are needed to improve this? How can women claim personal power in a world that is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate? And finally, what is life-enhancing and good about being a woman in Ireland today?

8.30pm – 10pm : Locker Room Talk: Inside the hearts, minds and bodies of Men in Ireland

Masculinity and Mental Health

Host: Tony Griffin

Panel: Colm Keegan (Poet, Writer), Jack McGrath (Ireland and Leinster Rugby Star), Diarmuid Lyng (Former Wexford Hurler Captain, Broadcaster), Michael Harding (Author, Playwright)

What are the issues closest to the hearts, bodies and minds of men in Ireland today?

Why are these issues kept under lock + key? What would it feel like to talk openly about the things that we feel uncomfortable talking about?

We live in an extreme patriarchal society that is increasingly pushing people to their limits, how is this affecting our men? Masculinity is being graded according to macho hardness, sexual prowess, status, money and power, how does this affect mental health? What is needed to create a society in which our men can express their true masculine power in a healthy way ? What are the rites of passage and initiations required to support men grow from childhood into adulthood in the best way possible? Who are the male role models in the world today? Why are so many men hurting right now and what are we going to do about it?

SATURDAY Sept 02

6.30pm – 8pm: Are our systems sound?

Host: Dr. Ciara Kelly

Panel: Minister Simon Harris, Dr. Pat Bracken, Caroline McGuigan (CEO Suicide or Survive), Senator Lynn Ruane

What is our government doing to care for the mental health of the people of Ireland? Waiting lists to talk to someone, organisational inconsistency, the growing rates of anxiety and depression, staff recruitment issues, budget cuts, archaic policies – the system is failing us.

Why this is happening, who is accountable and what can we do right now to transform this narrative?

This discussion is a deep dive into how our political system is currently influencing our collective mental health. We want to explore why legislation and policy implementation that can save people’s lives is so painstakingly slow to upgrade and implement. Economic pressures such as low wages, high rents and unemployment are all linked to increased rates of depression and anxiety. Rising homelessness and substance abuse are more closely related to mental health than they ever will be to economics or criminality. When will wellbeing be the thread that runs through all government activity? This is not about throwing stones or slinging arrows, this is about forging a new path forward together and keeping each other accountable to our promises.

8:00pm – 9:30pm: How can we be well in a sick sea?

Panel: Brian Higgins (CEO Pieta House), Razan Ibraheem (Syrian Journalist), Dr. Easkey Britton (Surfer and Environmentalist ), Joan Mulvihill (Centre Director for the Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce)

How we be true to each other while living in a post-truth world? How can we stay connected in age of nihilism and narcissism? Where do we go from here? At A Lust for Life and Pieta House we deal with people every day suffering from crippling levels of stress, anxiety, depression and desperation. This echoes and reflects reports all over the world of increasing human suffering amid chaos and destruction. One think tank estimated that 50 percent of present-day jobs would be taken by robots by the year 2050 while scientists warn that Earth’s sixth mass extinction event is underway. Are we are regressing or progressing as a society? This conversation explores the role of media, technology and environment in connecting the human race? Who are the gatekeepers? Will nature strike back? What does the future look like and what we can do to create a more interconnected world?

SUNDAY SEPT 03

6.30pm – 8:00pm: Bringing a voice to stigma, the silent killer

Host: Brian Higgins CEO, Pieta House

Cat O’Broin (Digital Co-Ordinator, Pieta House), Moninne Griffith (Executive Director, BeLonGTo), Shane Byrne (Former International Rugby Player, Supporter Pieta House), Joe Caslin (Irish IIllustrator & Street Artist)

Pieta House opened its doors 11 years ago and has since helped over 30,000 people in suicidal distress or engaging in self-harm. Throughout that time the Pieta House team have noticed certain threads weaving their way through the life stories of people who turn up on their doorstep. Many of these issues are deeply connected into social stigmas that still run deep in our society such as our identity, our colour, our creed, our sexuality, our gender, our net worth and our relationships. The labels we place on each other and how we judge each other causes great pain in our culture. We want to explore these stigmas and find out what we can do to transform ourselves into a more empathetic, compassionate community accepting of people who come from all walks of life. What makes us different makes us more beautiful.

8.15pm – 9.30pm: #SoundEffect – The Art of being sound

Positive Psychology session

Host: Paula McLoughlin

Niall“Bressie” Breslin (A Lust for Life co-founder), Jack Reynor (Actor), Dr. Malie Coyne (Clinical psychologist), Gerry Hussey (Sports Psychologist)

What does it mean to be sound in a world that often amplifies negativity? The truth is that most people in the world are sound. As human beings we have the capacity to tap into this innate soundness and make the world around us a happier place. Unfortunately our media and cultural conditioning tends towards a negative bias. We want to focus on the science of happiness and being sound . We will explore how we can integrate some really simple practical tools into our daily life to make ourselves and those around us happier through evidence based research and positive psychology. This experiential session explores self-compassion, gratitude, mindful moments, transforming toxic environments and non-judgement.

Download the Electric Picnic Full Line-Up PDF here.