Healing through Poetry Programme

HEALING THROUGH POETRY 
12th OCTOBER 2019

Wellington Park Hotel, 21 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 6RU


PROGRAMME

9.15 Registration

9.30 Intro and welcome Shelley Tracey, IPTN chair

9.45-11.15 Workshop 1 Carol Boland 'Travelling Through Time with Poetry'
‘In every adult there lurks a child— an eternal child, something that is always becoming, is never completed, and calls for unceasing care, attention, and education. That is the part of the personality which wants to develop and become whole.’ Carl Jung
The concept of the inner child is not a new one. It is present in mythology where heroes are children who are threatened in some way. Carol Boland travels back in time, through the poems of CarolAnn Duffy, to explore how childhood wounds continue to constrain adult life, with particular reference to John Bradshaw’s observation that, ‘For many of us, finding our inner child is like finding home for the first time’.

11.15-11.30 Coffee break

11.30-1.00 Keynote: Paula Cunningham 'The Uses of Constraint'
Paula’s session will begin with a short reading from her work, followed by a reflection on Auden’s famous statement: ‘Poetry makes nothing happen’. We will participate in a creative activity with the possibility of drafting a poem.


1.00 -1.45 Lunch

1.45-3.15 Workshop 2 Theresa Kelly 'More to me than meets the eye'
In this workshop we will write from the Trickster Myth, taking One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest as our prompt. We will explore the constraints modern society can place on the individual as a result of its views on mental health issues. Working with symbols of our own shadow side we will aim to begin to integrate that which we most dislike in ourselves and so bring liberation from imprisonment that unconsciousness invariably leads to.


3.15-3.30 Tea break

3.30-5.00 Workshop 3 Mari Alschuler 'Creating a breathing space: Writing and collage for self-care'

The concept of self-care is one that we hear much about these days, but many people are confused by what it actually means in practice. We all lead increasingly busy lives and, in this hands-on workshop, we will explore methods for using this limited free space for our self-care. These methods can also help poetry and mental health therapists to heal from bearing witness to often-traumatic client stories
We will begin with a short meditation as an introductory activity. This will be followed by the exploration of poetry relating to self-care as prompts for writing. We will also make a collage based on a self-care theme, and share and discuss our work.



5.00-5.15 Conclusion



BOOKING INFORMATION
Fee : €65 (IPTN & Lapidus members)
€85 Non-members (please note that if membership fees are paid at the same time as the conference fees, the lower rate will apply)
Membership fees: €15 Fees payable in € to Irish Poetry Therapy Network

Conference fees and membership fees may be paid electronically.
Please put your name on the payment reference
Permanent TSB
Account number: 86899860
Sort code: 990643
IBAN: IE90IPBS99064386899860
Enquiries and cheques in € to: Bernie Walsh, Treasurer IPTN, 60 Hazelwood, Gorey, Co. Wexford, Ireland. Places are limited, so to ensure you will not be disappointed, please reserve your place by emailing irishpoetrytherapynetwork@gmail.com

Meals available from the hotel


HOTEL ACCOMMODATION
The hotel is holding some bedrooms available for conference delegates for 11/10/2019.
The price per single is £75.00 B&B and double or twin will be £95.00
Guests can book their room by either calling or emailing reservations quoting block code IPTN111019. The hotel requires a credit or debit card from guests at the time of booking for guarantee.
Any rooms not booked from the allocation block by 13.09.19 will automatically be released – any booking after this date will be subject to availability