We are excited to announce that Inspire will be hosting an event at this year’s Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics.
Our free and interactive workshop, Hard to Reach or Hard to Hear?, which will take place in Lombard House at 11am on Friday 28th March, is set to explore the reality of mental illness in Northern Ireland and highlight the importance of uncomfortable conversations.
Many people living with mental illness do not vote or take part in the democratic process. Society thinks that’s because they’re hard to reach. We think it’s because they are saying things that are hard for society to hear.
International law guarantees every person the freedom to participate in elections and civic life. However, studies show that people living with mental illness are less likely to do so. Much of this is down to an absence of support, accessible information and a sense of disconnect caused by stigma and discrimination. It is of fundamental importance that we all enjoy, and avail of, our political and social rights.
Inspire understands that the way in which government operates can greatly affect an individual’s choices, aspirations and quality of life. Hard to Reach or Hard to Hear? aims to promote democratic awareness and tackle stigma around the topic of mental illness.
Open to all members of the public interested in learning more about how mental health, culture and society intersect, the session will involve the voice of lived experience, conveying the priorities and insights of those who best understand this complex subject.
To get your tickets for the event, click here.