Midland Arts and Culture Magazine - Register.ie

“I couldn’t talk toanyone. That’s whenI started writing, thatwas my saviour, penand paper’(Wally O Loughlin from Wally)Hear me, See meThe mental health project that grew out of a chance meeting with a rapper!By Anne Marie KellyAnne Marie KellyBroadcasterA weekend of training arose from themaking of Wally, a film documentaryabout Wally O Loughlin fromPortlaoise who attempted suicidein 2009.Music was his escape and the film is hisstory. It is a story of survival that aims toempower young people today to believein themselves.In order to make an impact on youngpeople in Laois, Hear Me See Me wasborn out of the realisation that Wally didnot have the confidence or the tools toexpress himself, and the weekendintends to address that.As a result, the weekend brings 40young people and youth workerstogether on common ground to expressthemselves through the arts, so thatthis project can grow beyond theweekend.This weekend will take place on the Maybank holiday weekend in theDunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise andis funded by Laois Partnership.Some 40 young people from TransitionYear in Mountrath Community Schoolhave been chosen as the first group totake part.Ann-Marie Kelly first met Wally with theintention of making a radiodocumentary on him. He had got quite aname for himself as a rapper and hehad spoken to the newspapers of hissuicide attempt in order to help others.When Ann-Marie met him she knew itwould go beyond a radio documentary,and so she called in filmmaker GaryHoctor from Hello Camera from Birr andthey started shooting the documentary.Sometimes when you think the journeyis over, it’s only just begunA year later and Ann-Marie has juststopped filming. She purchased her ownHD camera and followed Wally for over ayear.Wally went from the depths of despair togetting his blackbelt, recording his ownmusic and becoming a father.The documentary will be premiered onthe training weekend and will then go tofestivalsThis initiative doesn’t just allow youngpeople to express themselves throughfilm, music and radio, but also affordsthe opportunity to comment on whatthey see. It aims to empower youngpeople with the knowledge that youdon’t have to have a degree in art toexpress your opinion on it.The art of film, radio and music alsoallows them to escape their daily livesand delve into their own world ofwonder, imagination, curiosity,playfulness and being somebody else,and that is an aspect of life we all love.It also gives them a voice.The weekend will be run byprofessionals from film, music andradio industries and the young people’sradio program will be broadcast onMidlands 103.They will also perform and show theirwork on the final evening of theweekend after the premier of the filmWally that will be open to the public.MSynergy and Light -shining a light on the joy of movementOne afternoon in a frenzy of creativeexcitement Suzanne Hogan had adream - a dream in which dancers ofall disciplines and all abilities couldcome together and move... move withno prejudice, no judgement, just movefor the sheer love of dance, of being,of performance... move so thataudiences could see and connect withthe feeling of it, so that all could feelinspired, or at least leave with aslightly bigger smile on their face, anda little spring in their step.And, so, the concept of Synergy andLight as a festival and experience wasborn!“Synergy- for the feeling of harmonywhen there is movement in the bodyand with others.“Light- for the light it brings into ourselves and our lives when we move.“Whether dancing, walking, running orjumping. We shine when we move!“Imagine if all of us could discover alittle lightness from our own synergy?What a world it would be…,” explainsSuzanne.Synergy and Light Festival began in2011 as a community venture incollaboration with the WestmeathCounty Council to bring Westmeathdancers of all disciplines together inone magical afternoon of celebration,enjoyment and engagement with theaudience and other dancers.Energy Plus School of Dance fromMullingar, Athlone’s Attitude DanceSchool both performed along withBachata Ireland and contemporarydancer Orla Shine to name a few.Crowds gathered in the Athlone TownCentre Shopping Centre last April, andenjoyed an afternoon of fast-pacedentertainment along with workshops inZumba, Couples Latin Dancing andContemporary Dance. To top off thisamazing afternoon Fidget Feetperformed their piece ‘Hang On’ in theCivic Square.This year promises to focus yet again onthe community aspect of dance, activelyencouraging interaction between theaudience and the performers andoffering a series of free workshops opento all, regardless of abilities.This year even the tiny tots will get achance to shake and move in their veryown Disco Tots Workshop.The Mini-Musical Company, thebrainchild of artists Suzanne Hogan andNiall O’Connell, will be debuting two oftheir mini- musicals Broken Doll andSnow White and the One Dwarf.The Athlone Town Centre ShoppingCentre has agreed, for a second year, tohold the Synergy and Light Festival onSunday, May 27.This free festival will run from 1pm until6pm in the shopping centre followed bya grand finale, once the centre hasclosed, in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.Organisers say it is a 'big surprise' fornow, but promise it will cap off a greatday of free family fun andentertainment.For more information, or if you or yourgroup would like to participate in thisyear’s festival, please contact Suzi on086 8677164 or emailsuzi@synergyandlight.com M25