The Millennium Forum are thrilled to announce our brand new project that will enable local young people to explore topics around mental health through the arts.  The ‘Happy Stage – Your Forum, Your Stage’ project, which is supported by Arts Council NI and Ulster Garden Villages, invites all those aged between 12 and 18 with an interest in performance (acting, singing and dance) to participate in the 26 week long project.  The Forum is particularly keen to welcome those young people who have never been involved in performing arts previously as this will be a unique opportunity for them to learn new skills from the outset.

Participants will work alongside key health professionals and professional arts facilitators to produce a piece that will be showcased in various venues within the local community.  Already, a number of key professionals have been confirmed to take part including Gary Rutherford (ARC Fitness), Brenda Shankey (Mindfulness Coach), Laura Keogh (vocal facilitation), Ciara Mc Callion (acting facilitation) and  Carie Logue Houston (movement facilitator). Others will be announced shortly.

The project is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s National Lottery funded ARTiculate: Young People and Wellbeing Arts Programme. Lorraine Calderwood, ARTiculate Programme Manager, also commented:

Happy Stage Your Forum Your Stage is a 26-week-long, all-inclusive youth drama project aimed at young people between the ages of 12 to 18. The project is designed to harness the creative potential of drama, dance, song, and peer learning to explore and address the vital issue of young people’s mental health.

The heart of the project lies in the creation of a unique drama and music performance  that will not only be a therapeutic outlet for the participants but also serve as a powerful tool for raising awareness and helping others facing similar challenges.

The Millennium Forum is now inviting young people aged 12 to 18 to participate in this transformative journey. If you or someone you know is interested in exploring positive mental health through performance, gaining self-confidence, building new friendships, and collaborating with arts and health professionals, then ‘Happy Stage – Your Forum Your Stage’ is the perfect project to get involved with.

This exceptional project is entirely FREE for participants and it will take place in convenient 8-week blocks. The first block is set to commence on Wed 18^th October. Weekly workshops then run on Wednesdays (6pm-8.30pm) and Saturdays (12noon-3pm) each week at the Millennium Forum. Places are limited so will be allocated on a first come first served basis.