Ireland’s first and only mental health arts festival

See Change and arts-based mental health group First Fortnight, has teamed up to stage Ireland’s biggest and most ambitious programme of mental health-themed arts and cultural events, taking place during the first two weeks of (4th-14th January)

Centred around Temple Bar- the hub of cultural activity in Dublin, the First Fortnight Festival 2012 will offer a wide variety of venues and art forms to provide visually interesting and thought-provoking content with some of Ireland’s best known faces and rising stars coming together to challenge the stigma of mental health problems through the arts.

The big idea:

Challenge Perceptions: by staging arts & cultural events that explore the several facets of mental health to foster a shared understanding of the mental health problems that can affect any of us.

Encourage Engagement: by speaking through a community of creative individuals actively collaborating & volunteering to showcase their work to create awareness and discussion.

Use the arts

• To recognise the creative contributions made by many with self-experience;
• To showcase recovery in action;
• To inspire participation in personal well-being through the arts & self-expression.

The festival programme will include:

• Theatre Pieces
• Live Music
• Visual Arts
• Music and spoken word sessions

For more information on the Festival programme and to purchase tickets you can visit www.firstfortnight.com