Learn and help organize Mad Pride 2016 with a swarm of beautiful and understanding Mad Organizers.
Join us at Progress Place:
Tuesday, April 26, 2016 5:30-7:30
Progress Place
576 Church Street
Toronto, Ontario
Contact torontomadpride@gmail.com for any questions. We need help with talking to organizations and different communities, fundraising, organizing events (finding locations, participants), and lots more.
Join the Friendly Spike Theatre Band from July 12-15, 2016 as they present their new play as part of Mad Pride Toronto 2016 “What’s Next … The Big C?”
In Celebration of MAD PRIDE TORONTO 2016
Tuesday, July 12 to Friday, July 15, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
The Scotiabank Studio Theatre within The Pia Bouman School of Ballet and Creative Movement
6 Noble Street, Toronto (One block west of Dufferin Street, north of Queen Street West)
All performances are Pay What You Can
CIRCLE THE DATE
Opening Night
Wednesday July 13, 2016
*Celebrate the company and toast director Ruth (Ruth) Stackhouse on her SIXTIETH Birthday at our post performance reception
Reservations are advised at friendlyspike@primus.ca
Celebrate and Empower TORONTO MAD PRIDE WEEK 2016 – July 11th – 17th
Mad Pride Week is an arts, culture, and community festival created to celebrate, empower and build community. We are working not only to end stigma and oppression, but to show our strength and enjoyment of life.
Toronto Mad Pride was started in 1993 by community activists in Parkdale as “Psychiatric Survivor Pride Day”, and is now part of a global movement from the UK to Australia.
The festival will have a great line-up of events: the Mad Market of arts, music and fun; a Public Forum presented by the Empowerment Council; a Theatrical Performance by Friendly Spike Theatre; a line-up of Academic Events, including discussions and activities co-sponsored by Ryerson University; and the annual flagship Bed-Push Parade (symbolizing the movement from hospital to community) that ends with a Picnic at Trinity-Bellwoods Park.
To create these events we need and value long-term relationships with community partners and we’re asking you to contribute to Mad Pride Toronto 2016. There are many ways to do so:
And, of course, come out to the events and join in the fun July 11th-17th!
Your contributions will help achieve our shared goals and build your organization’s profile in mental health and community building. Partners and contributors will be acknowledged through posters, event signage, website and social media channels.
Please support Mad Pride 2016, supported by, and a project of, Sound Times Support Services of Metropolitan Toronto, (charitable status #133639187RR0001).
Help us make Mad Pride Week 2016 an outstanding event and support our goal of ending the stigma against mental illness and celebrating our Mad Pride.
Thank you,
Mad Pride Planning Group
280 Parliament St, Toronto, ON M5A 3A4
torontomadpride@gmail.com • www.torontomadpride.com • @madpridetoronto
Mad Pride can be hard to explain to people who have never experienced it. Mad Pride can be inclusive and transcendent. It can be logical and mundane. It can be intensely personal…
If you boiled down your idea of Mad Pride, what would it mean? We will share some of your answers here:
Mad Pride means …
More Mad Pride 5 word thoughts to come
In July 2015, Mad people pushed a bed into a better future. A Mad Stretcher symbolizing a movement from hospital to community. Join the Bed Push / Mad Pride parade in 2016.
From Parkdale to Trinity Bellwoods Park, allies advocates and straight-up Mad people spread messages of empowerment, hope and celebration. Enjoy some of these photos and send us some more.
Check out the NEW MAD Pride Site.
The Bed Push symbolizes and celebrates Mad peoples’ journey from the institution to the community:
Patients left hospitals like the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to live in the community.
OR
Involuntary patients / inmates escaped from institutions like CAMH and found their own rights and opportunities for self-determination, empowerment.
In 2015, the Bed Push went from Parkdale Library to Trinity Bellwoods Park a lovely walk that drew support, spread our voice and ended with terrific food.
Sounds and cheers were carried by the bed neé stretcher.
At the end of the march shady trees were a blessed sight!
Please join us this year on the Bed Push. We need volunteers NOW to plan the Bed Push. We also need volunteers on the day to help with carrying signs, food, sleepy people and marshals, media relations, and cheerleaders.
Looking forward to meeting you and talking soon.