First Fortnight have announced the 2017 festival line-up of mental health themed arts and cultural events, taking place across Dublin and selected venues nationwide during January. See Change is delighted to be a part of the festival once again along with our partners at Mental Health Reform, Mental Health Ireland and St Patrick’s Mental Health Services.
Now in its eighth year, First Fortnight 2017 will see live music, film, theatre, discussion and arts events staged to create open discussion and understanding of mental health problems, and challenge prejudice and discrimination.
This year, See Change and First Fortnight in association with the Irish Film Institute are bringing conversation of mental health to the movies with nationwide screenings of Maya Forbes’ movie Infinitely Polar Bear.
Boston in the late ‘70s; Cameron (Mark Ruffalo) is struggling with bipolar disorder; the future appears uncertain for his wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana) and their two daughters when a particularly difficult period sees him both fired from his job and hospitalised. When she is awarded a business scholarship to attend Columbia University, Maggie convinces her reluctant husband – convalescing at home on lithium treatment – to look after the girls for the eighteen months she’ll be in New York, a less than ideal arrangement given his frequent manic behaviour and booze-soaked depressions. For her debut feature writer/director Maya Forbes draws on personal experience of being raised by a bipolar father; poignant and humorous, Infinitely Polar Bear is a refreshingly positive depiction of living with mental illness.
Suitable for ages 16+
Book your tickets now for nationwide screenings:
Jan 7, 4pm: IFI, 6 Eustace St, Dublin 2 (post show discussion). Tickets on sale from www.firstfortnight.ie
Jan 9, 8pm: Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray ¦ Box Office: (01)2724030
Jan 10, 8pm: Droichead Arts Centre, Louth: Box Office (041) 9833946
Jan 11, 8pm; Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire ¦ Box Office: (01) 2312929
Jan 11, 8pm: Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise ¦ Box Office: (057)8663355
Jan 12, 8pm: St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services, Dublin. (post show discussion). Tickets on sale from www.first fortnight.ie
Jan 17, 8pm: Visual, Old Dublin Road, Carlow; Box Office: (059) 9172400
Jan 17, 8pm: Town Hall Theatre, Galway ¦ Box Office: (091)569777 (post show discussion)
Jan 18, 8pm: Riverbank Arts Centre, Kildare ¦ Box Office: (045)448327 (post show discussion)
NOTE: PLEASE SELECT RESPECTIVE VENUE TO BOOK
