MAD Poetry 2022: Lived Experience Workshop (Wollongong)

Red Room Poetry create poetic arts projects and learning programs in collaboration with a spectrum of poets, schools, communities and partners for positive social impact. Our mission is to make poetic experiences accessible to all, especially those who face the greatest barriers to creative opportunities

Red Room Poetry

Wollongong Library

<p>We are full of worlds that can't be contained by a pill. MAD Poetry is an initiative  that  focuses on creating a safe writing space for emerging voices with a lived/living experience of mental health issues to express how they see the world, where these poets can define themselves through their creativity not their diagnosis, and explore by pen and page their experience of illness, institutions, recovery,  self-care, and beyond.</p><p>This free 3-part workshop focuses on externalising our inner thoughts as both creatives and people with lived experience through poetry. Empowering lived experience to write from a place of mindfulness, growth, and connection to others and our own selves. These face-to-face workshops will be held at Wollongong Library* led by Alise Blayney and co-facilitated by  Tim Heffernan.</p><p>Participants will collaborate to create a group poem as well as their own individual pieces.</p><p>*this is a physical workshop, complimentary masks provided but not required</p><h3>Details</h3><ul><li>Date: Sat 15, 22, 29 Oct (over 3 weeks)</li><li> Time: 10am–12pm AEST weekly (duration 2 hrs)</li><li> Poets: Alise Blayney, Tim Heffernan</li><li>Cost: Free, morning tea provided</li><li> Bookings: Essential (limited to 15 places)</li><li>Anyone that lives in or near the Illawarra who identifies as having lived experience mental health issues / illness are welcome to attend</li></ul><h3>About our poets</h3><p><strong>Tim Heffernan</strong> is a Deputy Commissioner with the NSW Mental Health Commission and has worked for over a decade as a Mental Health Peer Worker, as well as being a well published poet and co-editor, with Alise Blayney, of Verity La’s ‘Clozapine Clinic – The Frater Project.’ With Alise he also first established Mad Poetry as part of the 2016 Wollongong Writers Festival.</p><p><strong>Alise Blayney</strong> is a poet and peer educator with extensive experience in peer work and recovery-focused education across mental health settings.</p><h3>Discover more</h3><p><a href="https://redroomcompany.org/projects/mad-poetry/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><em>MAD Poetry </em></a></p><p>This workshop is presented by Red Room Poetry with support from Coordinare.</p><p><em>We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We offer our respects to their cultures and Elders past, present and future.</em></p>

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