World Suicide Prevention Day, Sept. 10 – FREE Cross-Canada concerts for suicide prevention, awareness and hope!

* 18 hours of music * 13 cities * Performances will be live streamed

More than 200 performers – some of Canada’s finest in classical, jazz and other styles

EDMONTON, Sept. 8, 2016 – The healing power of music will draw Canadians together in a remarkable event to mark World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, 2016. From sunrise to sunset, a series of concerts will take place in 13 cities from coast to coast – the first such event ever held.

The Mysterious Barricades Concert Society, based in Edmonton, will be presenting some of this country’s finest performers, and feature a variety of styles – including classical vocal and instrumental, spoken word, jazz, new music, choral, folk and indigenous.

There is no admission charge for the concerts, which will take place in venues located on university campuses in the 13 communities. (Times and locations are in the backgrounder below.) In addition, the performances can be enjoyed by anyone with an Internet connection. All concerts will be live streamed throughout the day on our website, mysteriousbarricades.org.

This event is the brainchild of Elizabeth Turnbull, an Edmonton opera singer and faculty member at the University of Alberta, who lost her husband, Chris, to suicide in September 2015.

“I’m no expert, but it seems to me that those who are affected by mental illness feel disconnected from the world around them,” Turnbull says. “I want people at risk of suicide to know how much their lives matter, and that we as a country and a community wish for the stigma of mental illness to become a thing of the past.”

In addition to its size and scope, what makes the Mysterious Barricades concert project so special, she says, is that so many people across the country have come together and volunteered their time, talent and expertise to help turn her vision into a reality.

A very important component of the day will be to make people aware of resources in their communities to help them and their loved ones.

“A substantial conversation needs to take place about mental illness and suicide,” says Turnbull. “I want to start that conversation with music – to raise hope, raise awareness about the problem, and help educate the public about the supports available. I wish my husband and I had known about these when we needed them.”

This national event is presented in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association and a number of its local chapters across Canada, and the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. It is also presented with support and assistance from Distress Centres in Toronto, Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council,

Richard’s Legacy Foundation for Survivors of Suicide Loss, London Middlesex Suicide Prevention Council,

Winnipeg Suicide Prevention Network, Association québécoise de prévention du suicide, and the New Brunswick Mental Health Consumer Network, Sackville branch.

Our thanks and special acknowledgments go to all the performers, and the University of Alberta for it significant contributions to the Mysterious Barricades concert project, in particular to the Office of Information and Communications Technology for hosting the live stream, and staff in the Office of the Dean of Students for their tremendous assistance. Thanks also to countless people at the following universities for their many contributions to the Mysterious Barricades concerts.

Concert Cities, Times and Venues:

St. John’s, Nfld., 06:30-08:00 NDT (05:00-06:30 EDT)
Venue: D.F. Cook Recital Hall, Memorial University

Halifax, 07:30-08:30 ADT (06:30-07:30 EDT)
Venue: Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Dalhousie Arts Centre Dalhousie University

Sackville, 08:30-09:30 ADT (07:30-08:30 EDT)
Venue: Brunton Auditorium, Mount Allison University

Montreal, 08:30-10:00 EDT
Venue: Pollack Hall, McGill University

Ottawa, 10:00-11:30 EDT
Venue: Freiman Hall, University of Ottawa

Toronto, 11:30-13:00 EDT
Venue: Walter Hall, University of Toronto

Kitchener/Waterloo, 13:00-14:30 EDT
Venue: Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Wilfred Laurier University

London, 14:30-16:00 EDT
Venue: von Kuster Recital Hall, University of Western Ontario

Winnipeg, 15:00-16:30 CDT (16:00-17:30 EDT)
Venue: Great Hall, Canadian Mennonite University

Saskatoon, 15:30-16:30 CST (17:30-18:30 EDT)
Venue: Peter MacKinnon Building Convocation Hall, University of Saskatchewan

Edmonton, 16:30-18:00 MDT (18:30-20:00 EDT)
Venue: Convocation Hall, University of Alberta

Vancouver, 17:00-18:30 PDT (20:00-21:30 EDT)
Venue: Old Auditorium, University of British Columbia

Victoria, 18:30-20:00 PDT (21:30-23:00 EDT)
Venue: Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, University of Victoria.

Why this event? Watch this YouTube video.

PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2016/09/08/20160908_C8352_PDF_EN_768132.pdf

For further information: Julia Necheff, Marketing & Communications Lead, Mysterious Barricades Concert Society, info@mysteriousbarricades.org; Tana Nash, Executive Director, Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, tnash@lutherwood.ca; Carolyn Lovas, Senior Communications and Media Advisor, Canadian Mental Health Association, clovas@cmha.ca

NT5