Big anxiety festival

[pax]

Debra Keenahan embraces awkward conversations at new festival The Big Anxiety

 

[Chance]

Debra Keenahan embraces awkward conversations at new festival The Big Anxiety

I cant get the website page to open...

I have never heard of this, but it truly sounds interesting. I am proud of people who use their limitations as their strengths, and from what I get she is doing just that... Maybe the page website will open later... Or then again maybe its blocked in the U.S. You Tube is getting famous for that these days, and I don't understand why?

 

[pax]

For 55-year-old academic and artist Debra Keenahan, as a person with achondroplasia, or dwarfism, "out of the mouths of babes" is no mere biblical expression. Instead, it's an everyday occurrence she is intimately acquainted with.

"Children are beautifully honest," she says. "They will ask things like, 'can you drive a car?' 'Where do you get your clothes from?' "

On Sunday, September 24, Keenahan is inviting adults to ask her questions about her life at Awkward Conversations, an event that is something like an episode of ABC's You Can't Ask That television series brought off screen. The affair aims to open up channels of understanding as members of the public can register to have frank but respectful one-on-one conversations with a selection of people with diverse life experiences across topics such as autism, suicide and psychosis.

The event is part of a new arts and science festival focused on mental health, The Big Anxiety, for which Keenahan is an ambassador. She says she hopes that those she chats with are left feeling less anxiety and discomfort about the differences between people.

"I'm hoping that what they come away with is just a reinforcement of what at some level they actually already knew, and that is that the one thing we all share is our basic humanity. And if you are open to people you actually see the equality between people, rather than focusing on the differences."


Awkward Conversations is on September 24, 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm; and Wednesday, September 27, 11am-2pm and 5pm-7pm; Customs House, free (bookings essential). See thebiganxiety.org

Here you go Chance!

 

[Chance]

Cool It opened... I'm checking it out... thanks Pax.

 

[Chance]

Pax did you take the survey? Thats where your link sent me... I'm still reading...

 

[pax]

That's weird. I just cut and pasted the article, so it should take you to that. They have a website. No I haven't done the survey.

 

[pax]

Filled in survey.