“SAY IT loud – I’m mad and I’m proud,” that’s the message from the organisers of Ireland’s second Mad Pride Festival which kicks off in Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork city tomorrow afternoon.
Mad Pride is the brainchild of John McCarthy, a campaigner for the rights of those with mental illness, who explained the purpose of the event is to dispel commonly held misconceptions about mental illness.
Mr McCarthy, who ran in the 2007 general election on a mental health ticket, said Mad Pride was a celebration of the normality of madness with emphasis on fun and enjoyment while also offering people hope, compassion and understanding.
“It’s a celebration of the normality of madness,” Mr McCarthy said. “It’s about asking society to wake up its responsibility and accept people who are normally mad into society without stigma. It’s time to break down barriers with laughter because you can’t have stigma in the face of laughter. It’s about facing up to the fact that mental illness does not have to be a lonely or hopeless affair . . . It’s about showing the world that madness is an everyday occurrence that affects us all and can be dealt with openly, lovingly and without stigma.”
Singer/songwriter John Spillane will headline a diverse and exciting music bill with a particular emphasis on family- oriented enjoyment with plenty for children including face-painting, clowns and a food market.
“We have lots going on and it’s all free, ” Mr McCarthy added. “Everyone will be given a normality check with clowns equipped with rubber chickens and bananas and other crazy stuff, while we will also have street theatre and storytelling. There’s something for everyone.”
Last year’s inaugural event attracted more than 5,000 people to Fitzgerald Park in Cork and this year, Mr McCarthy is hoping that even more people will attend.
It starts at 1pm tomorrow and runs until 6pm.