Joy In The Park returns for its second year, bringing a whole host of music and entertainment to Fitzgerald’s park in Cork on the afternoon of Sunday July 23, 2023.
In partnership with Cork Mental Health Foundation, Joy In The Park is a celebration of life, whilst highlighting the importance of minding our mental health and well-being through bringing the community together and finding our Joy.
This year promises another stellar line up with headliners, The Frank and Walters, one of Ireland’s best loved and most recognizable alternative Indie Irish bands in the past three decades. They are joined by Cork’s own soul queen, Karen Underwood and her band, award winning traditional folk artist, Aoife Scott and ska favourites, Pontious Pilate & The Nail Drivers.
The Mad Hatters’ tent will feature some of Cork’s finest grass roots artists including Elly O’Keeffe, Hank Wedel, Victoria Keating & Aine O’Gorman, Leah Sohotra & Martin Leahy, Alan Tobin & Justin Grounds and Clare O’Mahony, whilst the Joy Sylvie Stage will host a mix of spoken word and hip-hop with acts yet to be announced.
A free, fun-filled family afternoon, Joy In The Park promises a quirky and eclectic mix of live music, spoken word, storytelling, children’s entertainment, circus, workshops, wellness activities alongside a delicious food market.
Families will be spoilt for choice with a full programme of entertainment throughout the afternoon including the return of the Circus Factory performing their spectacular shows, as well as giving audiences the opportunity to try out some circus tricks through their afternoon of workshops. This year also welcomes Circus Fanzini’s Professor Plunger, the infamous comedy clown guaranteed to cause outbursts of laughter, whilst characters of the Eccentric Hatter’s Crew go walkabout, keen to meet & greet anyone who cares to say hello. Jammed with activities throughout the afternoon, including arts & crafts, giant outdoor games, Kinderama’s movement for kids under 6 and mediation for all ages with Kelsang Drolma, there is simply something for everyone.
The Couch Sessions in association with Minding Creative Minds, Ireland’s first 24/7 (32 county and Irish overseas) wellbeing support programme for the entire Irish creative sector, will present a mental health panel and an introduction to their mentoring services. Joy In The Park are also delighted to welcome Comhairle na nÓg, whose project for this year supports youth mental health, where they will host a number of fun activities and games in the Rose Garden.
Joy In The Park will balance that sense of fun with connection and understanding, whilst raising awareness for mental health and well-being through an engaging programme of wellness, sensory activities and workshops, provided by the HSE Cork & Kerry Community Health Action Zone and a number of organisations and community groups including SHINE, MyMind, GROW, Cork Counselling Services and Jigsaw. They will be joined by PIETA, Samaritans, Shine A Light, Aware.ie and the National Learning Network who will be at the event as part of the support hub, offering their support and information throughout the afternoon.
Joy In The Park is a free event for everyone and is able to take place because of the financial support provided by a number of institutions. Funding confirmed to date include HSE Cork & Kerry Community Healthcare, HSE Cork Connecting For Life Programme, Cork City Council’s Arts Office, Cork City Council Ward Funds and Minding Creative Minds.
Joy In The Park
In June of 2021, event organiser Linda Plover sadly lost a close family member; her name was Joy and she was everything her name represents; she loved music and the arts and wrote poetry and short stories. Her favourite colour was purple.
A celebration of life and in partnership with Cork Mental Health Foundation, Joy In The Park hosted its inaugural event on July 17, 2022 in Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork City with over 9.5k people attending. A music and arts event, whilst highlighting the importance of minding our mental health and well-being, Joy In the Park is about bringing communities together and finding our Joy.
Funding confirmed for this year include HSE Cork & Kerry Community Healthcare, HSE Cork Connecting For Life Programme, Cork City Council’s Arts Office, Cork City Council Ward Funds and Minding Creative Minds.
Print Media Partner is the Cork Independent and Radio Media Partner is Cork’s Red FM.
Cork Mental Health Foundation
Cork Mental Health Foundation is the charity partner for Joy In The Park. Founded in 1962, it advocates for those with mental health difficulties and has grown and developed over the years into the organisation seen today.
The Foundation provides numerous educational projects and provides presentations to community, voluntary and statutory groups in the area of mental health promotion.
As a mental health housing association, it supports people with mental health difficulties through building and managing Social Housing Projects in Cork City & County with Currently 35 properties supporting over 110 residents.
Minding Creative Minds
Minding Creative Minds is Ireland’s first 24/7 (32 county and our Irish overseas) wellbeing support programme for the entire Irish creative sector.
Minding Creative Minds‘ counselling services (in association with Spectrum Life) include: *a 24/7 Dedicated Phone Line; Short-term intervention, telephone Counselling, secure video counselling and comprehensive web portal and app enabling live chat function with a counsellor. Minding Creative Minds focuses on the wellbeing of the entire person, so our programme also includes access to a number of additional services, helping users with various practical issues also. We ask people in our creative community not to wait until they are in a crisis to contact us; if something is troubling you, regardless of how small you deem it to be, let us help you.www.mindingcreativeminds.ie
Comhairle na nÓg
Cork city Comhairle na nÓg, Cork city’s youth council represent over 30 young people from all across Cork city. Their members are aged 14-18 and are currently focusing on a project supporting Youth Mental Health. As part of their project they have researched the impact of school and study stress and want to implement change around how a young person can successfully find help and manage anxiety.