Spotlight shines on mental health
Wearing your heart on your sleeve could help ease the minds of many.
A group of people from the Penticton arts and entertainment community are banding together this weekend to offer Heart to Mind, an evening fundraiser to benefit the Mind Foundation of B.C.
Local playwright James Iwasuk said he wanted to build on the success of Out of the Box: Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Health performed in the South Okanagan last fall.
The comedic performance was based on Stand Up for Mental Health, counsellor and comedian David Granirer’s program devoted to helping people who have used mental health services to reclaim their voice and put themselves literally into the spotlight in the name of stand-up therapy.
Iwasuk said performances by Tyrone Paterson and Jon Pelletier during the Mental Health Week gala were successes, and he is hoping to roll interest in the program over to Heart to Mind, a cabaret-style evening of lyric and poetry devoted to supporting mental health and brain injury awareness, at Fibonacci Roastery and Cafe on Saturday.
“It’s going to be good fun,” Iwasuk said. “With ticket sales, we’re way ahead of the game.”
The B.C. Schizophrenia Society’s writing and lyric workshop will also be showcased, as Paterson and Chet Pieper take to the stage.
Proceeds of the evening will benefit the Mind Foundation of B.C., which replaced the Dr. Norma Calder Foundation. It maintains endowments and grants, in addition to raising funds for research and support programs and services of the B.C. Schizophrenia Society.
Penticton artists from various media will be supporting the event with their trade as well: the evening lineup includes Allan Markin performing as Dr. Eclectic, acoustic-folk singer Maiya Robbie, chanteuse Monica Wolf and actor-musician Dick Clements who will perform a monologue.
A visual artist is also getting in on the act: Will Hoffman, the winner of the 2010 ReImagine Art Festival, said he wanted to help the event as a way of showing support for those who struggle with mental health.
“I have friends who are schizophrenic, and schizophrenia runs in my family,” the 23-year-old artist said. “I think it’s a really important thing to support. I think my friends and people my age shy away from it.”
The young artist said he has been trying to draw every day, in addition to building an online following and social network on sites like Twitter.
A loyal local following of friends and fans are also anticipated to come to the Feb. 11 event, and Hoffman agreed to hand-design each ticket sold for the event in his trademark street art-meets-doodle book style — offering a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork to every participant. Tickets are $30 and include the two-hour performance, chocolate by Accent Cafe and a kissing booth.
Doors open at 7 p.m., and the two-hour show begins at 8 p.m. at Fibonacci’s, 219 Main St. For information or to purchase tickets, call 778-476-3223.
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