Theatre for Positive Mental Health Erasmus Project

Project Title

Theatre for Positive Mental Health

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Social dialogue

Project Summary

Theatre and Film for Positive Mental Health
Using creative processes of theatre and film to promote positive mental health and well-being

Theatre and Film for Positive Mental Health was a Europe-wide, transnational project using creative processes of theatre and film to promote positive mental health and well-being. The project brought together artists and educators to explore the use of creative processes to promote positive mental health and how to develop coping strategies for handling stress and anxiety. The project promotes collaborative exchange and mutual learning between five partner organizations, two from Ireland, and one each from Spain, Italy, and Latvia. The five partners are Smashing Times, Dublin, Ireland (lead partner); EURORESO, Naples, Italy, www.euroreso.eu; Biedriba Eurofortis, Riga, Latvia, www.eurofortis.lv; Fundacion Intras, Valladolid, Spain, www.intras.es; and Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, www.tcd.ie.

The five partner organisations all have a solid track record in the implementation of European educational training programmes. Two of the partner organisations, Smashing Times (lead partner), Dublin, Ireland, and INTRAS, Valladolid, Spain, have established successful educational projects that use creative and digital media processes to promote positive mental health and suicide prevention, working with the general public and with those experiencing mental health concerns. The five partner organisations came together in response to the Europe Mental Health Action Plan, 2013-2020, that states mental health concerns are one of the greatest public health challenges in the European Region and the project results in the creation of an e-book, video demonstration, drama workshop model and a short film titled The Big No, all using creative processes to promote positive mental health and well-being.

The project builds on the innovative and award-winning Acting for the Future arts and health project implemented by Smashing Times who were delighted to be involved in a new Europe-wide project as lead partner bringing together a range of European organizations to use creative processes to promote positive mental health and well-being.

Project activities were:

• Five transnational project partner meetings conducted, attended by all partner organisations
• 500 adult educators completed on-line questionnaire to identify needs of adult educators and teachers wishing to learn how to use drama and theatre games and exercises and filmed performances and post-show workshop discussions to promote positive mental health and coping strategies for stress and anxiety
• 500 adult learners completed on-questionnaire to identify their needs in relation to the use of creative processes to promote positive mental health and develop personal and social skills for promoting resilience and managing anxiety and stress
• National and International Research conducted across Europe from Ireland, Lativa, Spain and Italy and the research is displayed in an e-book providing information and case studies on the use of creative processes of theatre and film to promote positive mental health and coping strategies for stress and anxiety.
• Theatre and Film for Positive Mental Health E-book created and made available on-line and distributed widely (pdf, 54 pages A4), containing research and case studies in relation to using creative processes to promote positive mental health and well-being and guiding principles for adult educators using creative methods to work with adults on how to promote positive mental health, and coping strategies for stress and anxiety. A theatre workshop model accompanies the book using drama and theatre games to promote positive mental health and coping skills for handling stress and anxiety.
•Ten-minute Video demonstration created, made available on-line and distributed widely, showing how to conduct 5 games and exercises to promote positive mental health and coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety
• One short film created, promoting the use of storytelling as a means of promoting positive mental health. The Big No Blurb by Féilim James is directed by Mark Quinn. In the film , a young man tells the story of his psychological unravelling and subsequent mental health crisis. Told in the form of a voiceover monologue accompanied by compelling imagery, this poetic short film takes us on a journey of despair, introspection, and hope. As he battles against panic attacks and suicidal thoughts, he is forced to face the ‘why’ of his problems head on, learning some essential truths about himself and the world.
• Links made with 25 mental health support organisations and 30 education and training institutions
• 500 participants (adult educators and adult learners) attend events to ‘test’ E-book, Video Demonstration and film
• 300 participants attend the multiplier events
• Dissemination Activities reach 455,000

Total Numbers Reached: 824,019

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 141667 Eur

Project Coordinator

SMASHING TIMES THEATRE COMPANY LIMITED & Country: IE

Project Partners

• THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN
• FUNDACION INTRAS
• EURORESO
• BIEDRIBA EUROFORTIS