An updated summary of news reports and listings of the Mad Pride 2007 events. If you know of others, or are planning one, let us know! Updated 7 August 2007.

Mad Pride 2007 News Reports

Directory of events and updates we’ve received for MadPride 2007.

Events are being planned around the word from May until October. Again this year, Mad Pride will be celebrated in England, Ghana, Canada and the US. Here is a brief summary of Mad Pride events we know about. If you or your organization is holding an event, please let us know about it at pride@mindfreedom.org

Update as of 21 July

Here’s the latest news release from Freedom Center of Massachusetts about their bed push in an event they call Escape from Psychiatry!

Update as of 18 July

Mad Pride Australia

Mardi Angelopoulos writes:

My name is Mardi Angelopoulos, from Sydney Australia. We have organised a mad pride event in Sydney on the 10th October 2007. It’s an event targeted at young poeple, it will host a number of presentations including music, drama, art and guest speakers!!!

“Speak Out, Speak Easy”
Dual Diagnosis Team
South Sydney Youth Services

For a news release and poster click here. 

Update as of 13 June 2007

Mad Pride Toronto Events Update.

The wonderful Ruth Ruth at Mad Pride Toronto says there are skads of events planned. Some are now in poster form, you may download the MS Word poster by clicking here

Summary of Toronto events:

MAD PRIDE BED PUSH A Parade of sorts Saturday, July 14th 1 – 5 pm Start: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1001 Queen Street West End: Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre, 1499 Queen Street West

Associated and Connected Events July 7th, 7 pm Coalition Against Psychiatric Assault presents Stories for Hemingway’s Havana – OISE 7th Floor Peace Lounge 252 Bloor Street W Info: capa@oise.utoronto.ca

July 12th-17th The Artists of Sound Times present a multi-media installation on the idea of being Other – Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West exhibition room 214, 12-5pm daily

July 15th, 10 am – 4 pm Community Arts and Crafts Fair @ Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre, 1499 Queen Street West

Updates as of 12 June 2007:

The Great Escape Bed Push

England, Canada and the US — July 13, 14 and 29

www.bedpush.com

From the organizers: 

The Great Escape Bed Push protests have now taken place each summer since 2005. Each year we symbolically escape psychiatric institutions, dressed in pajamas and ‘hot tail’ it with a psychiatric bed to a place of safety and celebration. We aim to raise awareness about the over-use of forced treatments in mental health services and the need for holistic choice based services. This year, 2007 we go global, because the mistreatment of psychiatric patients is a global problem.  The 14th of July is World Mad Pride Day so our activities will be focussed around this time period.

So far, events will be taking place in England, Canada and the U.S.A. In England we will be ‘escaping’ from Callington Road Psychiatric hospital in Bristol (BS4 5BZ) at 9.30AM on Friday 13th of July. We will go ‘on the run’ and push the bed to Bath arriving at around 1pm on Saturday the 14th of July at a Mad Pride Celebration  (organised by the Mad Hatters of Bath) at Queen Square. Here there will be a carnival atmosphere with music, theatre and dance.

Meanwhile in Toronto Canada there will be a Bed Push on the 14th of July starting at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health on Queen Street and ending up at Parkdale Activity and Recreation Center for a celebratory meal and an open stage for entertainment.

Said an organizer: ‘The idea is that the whole community get involved to generate awareness of psychiatric survivor/consumer and mad people’s experiences, strengths and political issues. The dress of choice is naturally pajamas, which makes for fun opportunities to be creative and show off that mad  spirit.’

For more info on being involved contact: jermiahbach@soundtimes.com

Also in Northampton, Massachusetts, U.S.A. an Escape from Psychiatry Protest will also take place on July 29. For more details see:
http://www.freedom-center.org/july-29th-escape-psychiatry-protest

Mad Pride in Belgium

The first Mad Pride in Brussels, Belgium will be held on 6 october 2007!
More information is available online at

www.uilenspiegel.net

You may download a copy of their MS Word poster about Mad Pride in Belgium by clicking here.

Previously announced 2007 Mad Pride events by region:

Accra, Ghana, Africa

This was one of the largest Mad Pride events in 2006, and now 2007 appears promising, too. MindFreedom Ghana reports they will hold Mad Pride event in July 2007 with a number of activities. Their theme for 2007 will be “Free Minds For Everyone Now And Always – The Road Ahead”. Some of the activities planned are Radio and TV discussions, Drama and Cultural events, Symposium and climaxed by a street march.

England

BonkersFest — in UK on 2 June 2007 — is a creative festival celebrating mental health system users and the right for everyone to be different! This is their second annual event, and a co-sponsor includes Mad Pride UK.

For “live” MindFreedom photo coverage from the launch of the event – a cannon blasting bananas – plus a copy of their news release click here.

Their web site is http://www.bonkersfest.org

In other related-news, one of the main sponsors of BonkersFest has a job opening, go to: http://www.creative-routes.org

Canada

Vancouver

Gallery Gachet in Vancouver will celebrate a Mad Pride weekend around July 13-15, 2007, at Gallery Gachet, which is a art gallery with a focus on the art of psychiatric survivors. Five mental health advocacy groups will be sponsoring the celebration. For more information go to http://www.gachet.org

Toronto, Canada:

IF YOU ARE DOING CREATIVE AND OR POLITICAL WORK THAT BENEFITS THE LIVES OF PSYCHIATRIC SURVIVORS
– REACH OUT –

MAD PRIDE TORONTO 2007 ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Is gathering presentation ideas for two great events;

Mad Pride Day, July 14th, an international day recognizing Mad People’s Movement,  World Mad pride day takes place on July 14th, and by holding events on that date Toronto mad folks get to join in solidarity and celebration, as festivities will link to others across North America, Europe and Africa.  Mad pride has been a vital event in Toronto since 2002, and we hope to build on that success this year!

and

Psychiatric Survivor Pride Day, Sept 15, a local arts and education event.  Always with a consciousness raising and political edge, since 1993 psychiatric survivor pride day has featured workshops on community organizations, housing, tenant rights, workers rights, community treatment orders, ODSP, and dealing with police.
For more info contact; Ruth Ruth (416) 516-4740,
friendlyspike@primus.ca

Their web site:

http://www.friendlyspike.ca/MadPride.html

USA:

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

MAD LIBERATION:  Reforming the Mental Health System!

This lecture by MFI Director David Oaks with lively discussion on 23 May 2007 was a fun and successful event. Thanks much to Mad Tea Party especially for being one of the sponsors. And a special note of thanks to another sponsor Access Living for assisting, and for the tour of their amazing new office building (one of the few to combine “universal design and green values”!). And of course thanks to all the other wonderful sponsors.

The topics covered included:  What is the Mad Movement? What is Mad Pride? Why is empowerment crucial for real recovery?

For more info click here.

An upcoming Mad Pride event in Chicago, Illinois has proved for several years now to be a popular way to reach thousands . Mad Pride participates as one of the entry in one of the main “Disability Pride Parades” in the world!

4th Annual Disability Pride Parade

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Open Mic Friday 7-8:30 pm

www.disabilityprideparade.com

Albany, New York

The Mental Patients Liberation Alliance  (in New York State) announced, “We will host our 27th Annual Bastille Day Celebration/Demonstration with a vigil on the lawn of the state capitol building in Albany, New York from noon Friday July 13th to noon Saturday July 14th 2007. The focus will be to question the drugging of young people.” Phone: 1-800-654-7227 or e-mail georgeebert@yahoo.com.

Litchfield, Connecticut

“Creative Revolution in Healing: Turning Our Minds Around MindFreedom Conference Retreat on Choice in Mental Health Care, July 12-15 will feature several workshops and events celebrating Mad Pride.

On 14 July we will use an online connection to upload and network photographs and reports of Mad Pride events througout the world! Please note this conference was so popular that capacity was reached two months before the event. You may join a waiting list by filling out an application and submitting it without payment.

For more information on this conference/retreat click here.

Buffalo, New York

Mental Health Empowerment Rally

Bidwell Parkway on Elmwood Ave.
6:30-9:30 pm on Bastille Day (July 14, 2007)

An evening filled with speakers, entertainers, an open mic and a vigil for survivors of trauma, including psychiatric survivors.  We will also have tables of peer, community organizing and alternative providers in the area.  Tablers so far include:

  •  Action for Mental Health, Inc. (peer self-help and advocacy agency)
  •  Buffalo State Students for Peace
  •  Buffalo Wellness Cooperative (a coop of alternative providers)
  •  P.E.A.C.E. (an advocacy and support agency for families of homicide victims)
  • Latin American Cultural Association
  •  Erie County Mental Health Association
  •  Independent Living Center
  • Break the Circle of Stigma (peer educational group)
  • Himalayan Institute (local yoga practitioner certification group)
  •  Rehabilitation Awareness Coalition (local peer/family and progressive provider group that plans a yearly conference on rehabilitation awareness)
  • Urban Community Corporation (criminal justice advocacy)
  •  Group Ministries (peer sa self-help and advocacy agency)

….
The rally is being organized by
Anti-Stigma/Advocacy Coordinator
Action for Mental Health
1585 Kenmore Ave.
Buffalo, NY 14217
(716) 871-0581
1-800-348-1357
fax: (716) 871-0614
www.actionformentalhealth.org

Oregon

Bastille Day events at the Oregon Country Fair will once again celebrate Mad Pride in the Community Village via the Doors of Expression Booth on Saturday, 14 July 2007. Ask at the Information Booth at Community Village for information from Debra.

Spread the word!

Mad Pride celebrates the creativity, strength and resilience of the human spirit. Mad Pride provides an opportunity to empower psychiatric survivors and raise public consciousness about human rights through various activities such as art, theatre, music, poetry, protests, vigils and more. All are welcome.

This is the 8th year that MindFreedom has promoted Mad Pride events internationally.

For information about past Mad Pride events, frequently asked questions about Mad Pride, ideas for how to have your own Mad Pride celebration and updates on current Mad Pride events click here.

Events in planning… From UK’s Terry:

We are hoping to have a late Mad Pride/ Bonkers Up North event in Leeds in August featuring Leeds punk
survivor band The Schizos. I’ll keep you informed.


Listing of MAD PRIDE and related events is for information purposes only. A group listed is not necessarily a member, sponsor or affiliate of MindFreedom, and listing is not necessarily an endorsement of the group.

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