Victoria Premiere: Madness, Masks and Miracles Screening

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Sunday, December 11th, 2011
6:45 PM to 9:30 PM

Join June Swadron, Victoria writer, actor, playwright, psychotherapist and author of Re-Write Your Life, in an evening exploring the link between creative expression and wellness for people living with mental illness.

Swadron will share the story behind the play Madness, Masks and Miracles, co-written with Victoria Maxwell and co-produced with Hub Productions and Lee Clarke. The talk will be followed by a DVD screening of the play.

�This play is about the types of madness or dark nights of the soul most people living with a mental illness experience,� says Swadron. �But it also includes the masks all of us wear to avoid being criticized, ostracized and marginalized. Ultimately, it�s about shared struggles, compassion and the miracles that let us shed our masks and be who we really are.�

�A must see for every Canadian,� said Dr. Michael Meyers, President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. This is �what it�s like to have a mental illness, the anguish and confusion� and the denial in co-workers and family� But this production is not cynical or depressing. It is moving, inspiring and intensely evocative�, explained Meyers, when the play was first performed and filmed at the World Assembly for Mental Health in Vancouver.

Swadron will share her vision, following the screening, for the establishment of a facility, where people with mental health challenges can access creative and expressive arts and healing modalities: The Academy for Creative & Healing Arts. Swadron envisions a downtown Victoria centre, where people can �work and play� to unleash their creative potential.

�People�s lives can be transformed as they move from mental illness to mental health,� says Swadron.

Attendees are invited to informally share their own experience and creative ideas during a reception following the screening.

For more info: http://juneswadron.com/mental-health/madness-masks-and-miracles/