Barbados takes mental health awareness on stage

There are many types of mental disorders affecting Caribbean people

Bridgetown, Barbados, August 2, 2006 - The stigma and discrimination experienced by persons living with a mental disorder will be brought to the fore this month in Barbados when the Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), in cooperation with producer/director, Winston Farrell, present the drama ‘When Hope Smiles’.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Health and PAHO, over a year ago, the drama is in support of a public education initiative which uses education in tandem with entertainment strategies (“Edutainment”) to address issues such as the stigma and discrimination against the mentally ill.  This drama and a Popular Theatre Piece entitled “Green Gates” form part of the drive to heighten awareness to mental health issues.

In addition to serving as a teaching tool, the pieces are also designed to influence the attitudes, perceptions and behaviours of theatre audiences. Post performance discussions, in which audiences get the chance to air and share their views and interpretation of the pieces with the producers and actors are planned as a special focus of this presentation.

“We feel that this is a useful way of ensuring that audiences not only understand the message disseminated, but that the communicators will have a clearer grasp of prevailing attitudes and perceptions of the public,” explained the Ministry’s Health Education Officer, Denise Carter Taylor.

A similar sentiment was expressed by Director Farrell who noted that by the end of the play he hoped to elicit “serious commentary and create controversy”. While he noted that Barbadians had a preference for comedy and this was partly because “we feed them a diet of comedy”, he said, “there are moments in the play that are light, but I have no doubt that the serious message will hit home with the audiences”.

The message in the drama supports the National Mental Health Policy of Barbados, a document which was approved by Cabinet in 2004. It considers more efficacious treatment options for persons living with mental health disorders; including situations where persons are taken care of in less restrictive settings and where quality service, patient dignity, satisfaction and well-being are not compromised.

While not wanting to disclose too much about ‘When Hope Smiles’, prior to public viewing, Director Farrell said it tells the experiences of protagonist ‘Hope’. It highlights the discrimination and abuse within her household and the extended community, where she is harassed on the streets and is unable to find a job, despite her proven competence in her chosen area of work.

Set in a psychiatric hospital, the play allows ‘Hope’, a highly intelligent young woman with strong educational credentials, but who was diagnosed with  bipolar disorder, to tell her family’s tale of a struggle with mental illness, where both a mother and daughter are affected. “It explores the stigma and discrimination against this family and is intended to raise public awareness of how counter-productive attitudes and behaviours can be  destructive to persons like ‘Hope’, whose overwhelming desire is to overcome adversity,” said Farrell.

The drama took the director and his crew about three months to produce and is about one and a half hours long. ‘Green Gates’, on the other hand, was developed over two months and according to Winston Farrell it is not so much a play as it is a ‘popular theatre piece’ (PPT).

It is about 30 minutes in length and looks at a particular context, utilising various forms – songs, movement, dance, story telling and improvisation.  Director Farrell said: “There is no one main character in ‘Green Gates’; it uses a number of personalities who all have a ‘story’ to tell in one way or another, through a series of improvisations. This is consistent with popular theatre methods.”  Green Gates will be used in community settings and schools to further educated Barbadians about mental health issues.

‘When Hope Smiles’ opens to the general public at the St. Gabriel’s School, Henry’s Lane, on Saturday, August 12, and continues on Sunday, August 13; Friday, August 25; Saturday, August 26; and Sunday, August, 27.  All performances begin at 8:00 p.m., and there will be an admission fee of $15, at the door.

The Ministry of Health and PAHO consider that the piece would subsequently be captured on video for future use. (Barbados Government Information Service)