We want to hear from dads
27/09/2007
"Fatherhood is pretending the present that you love the most is soap-on-a-rope", Bill Cosby
Fathers and their children are being encouraged to get involved in a new project being led by YoungMinds Leicester Comedy Festival. The project will culminate in a new comedy show, which will be premiered in February as part of the 15th birthday celebrations of Leicester Comedy Festival.
“That Father’s Thing” will be premiered during the Leicester Comedy Festival in February 2008 as part of the Make Me Happy programme which gives opportunities for people to engage with creativity to overcome barriers and mindsets. The show is part of a pilot project run by YoungMinds in Leicestershire to try and provide help and support to fathers.
Daryl Nicholas, Outreach co-ordinator for YoungMinds said:
“Dads have a major role to play in the their children’s emotional
development but all too often services and support are aimed at mothers
and can feel liked a closed door to men. By using comedy to reach
fathers we hope to give them the confidence and support that they need
to take an active role in their children’s behaviour and emotional
development. The work with Leicester Comedy Festival is an exciting
opportunity with huge amounts of potential and we hope it can resonate
with fathers of all ages throughout the country.”
Leicester Comedy Festival Director, Geoff Rowe, said:
”We’re delighted to be working with YoungMinds and fathers from across Leicestershire to develop this exciting show. Our programme of work involves a wide range of projects and activities which involve people and then feed into the annual Leicester Comedy Festival. Hopefully once the show has been performed in Leicester it will then tour the UK and highlight the important role fathers play in bringing up children”
Award winning comedian, and father, John Ryan is to speak to over 100
dad’s to find out their experiences, how they spend time with their
children and how prepared they were when they discovered they were
going to be a parent. The consultation with men from across Leicestershire and Rutland will
generate experiences and real stories from fathers who have experience
of children and help John Ryan write the show.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- For more information contact the YoungMinds press team on 020 7336 1450 or press@youngminds.org.uk
