Newcastle University

With the Northern Centre for Mood Disorders we put on an evening lecture on the topic of mental health and suicide. There were 2 speakers, one a practitioner in mental health services and the second a parent who had lost a child to suicide and then set up a foundation to help others. This emotive subject was handled well and the audience were engaged and responded well to the talks. With the Newcastle branch of the British Science Association we put on a screening of ‘Finding Dory’ and afterwards had a Q and A session with one of our developmental psychology researchers and an animal behaviourist. It was a fund event which aimed at talking to younger children. One of our professors has a theatrical background and so we put on the Joe Penhall play ‘Blue/Orange’. This features the character Christopher a young black man living in the UK. Christopher has been displaying some odd behaviours but should he be diagnosed with schizophrenia? The play explores issues around race and mental health diagnoses. We created a souvenir programme for people to take away. Aimed at an adult, older teenager audience or those that might not go to a traditional science event / lecture.

Outreach is always fun and it is good to inspire the next generation. And to enthuse people outside of the scientific arena. Brain Awareness Week provides a useful focus to arrange these events

Its good to have a presence on social media but I’m not sure I took anything from it