Wexford Mental Health Association is delighted to announce that our very own – Discover Recover Theatre Project – “A Face in the Crowd” will be touring next November and January!
This innovative play began in 2015 when the Occupational Therapy Department within the HSE-Wexford Adult Mental Health Services in conjunction with the Wexford Mental Health Association embarked on a project to create a forum for the sharing of local individual’s stories with lived experience of mental health difficulties. Both from a therapeutic view point, but also as a means of using the medium of storytelling to reduce stigma, increase awareness in relation to mental health difficulties, and to promote help seeking. The outcome of these workshops was a play, based on the stories, written by Niall O’Muiri, a Community Psychiatric Nurse entitled “A Face in the Crowd”. The play was performed over four sell out performances in the Wexford Arts Centre between December 2015 and January 2016.
The play subsequently travelled to a number of secondary schools throughout Wexford, supported by a follow up workshop. The key aims of the play and its workshop is to
- Facilitate learning in relation to mental health difficulties.
- Raise awareness in relation to mental health difficulties and recovery in a safe and meaningful way.
- Promote the concept and role of seeking relevant supports to recover from crisis.
Following on from the positive feedback and success of last year’s initiative, it is our intention to present a live performance of “A Face in the Crowd” for the general public and an adapted version for senior cycle students following the very positive feedback from the Secondary Schools last year.
The schools production is supported by a follow up mental health education workshop in your school, and printed materials based on the drama content delivered by mental health professionals (approximately 45 mins duration).
For bookings for public performances, please contact the venues directly.
For further information on schools bookings, please contact Paula Lowney on 087 2754752 or by email on paula.lowney@hse.ie
Please click here for further information and details of performances.