Mad Pride/Connection Salon July 2023

Mad Pride is a global movement of those with lived experiences of the mental health system. It is an opportunity for folks to demonstrate their pride in their mad identity and a reclamation of the terms that have been used to hurt them: mad, nutter, psycho. Mad Pride is celebrated across the globe including Canada, the USA, UK and Ireland. Mad Pride cabarets often include music, poetry, film and theatre created and performed by mad people. The hope has been that this will raise awareness of the poor treatment of those with lived experience, reduce the level of stigma and prejudice they live with daily, and highlight the increasing and widespread use of involuntary commitments and forced treatments.

Vancouver’s Mad Pride Cabaret this July was put on by the Connection Salon. Bernadine invites Pierre Leichner from the CS and two of the performers, The Human Girl and 88Wayy, in to chat about Vancouver’s event. Pierre is an academic psychiatrist of 35 years who walked away to become an artist receiving his MFA in 2011. He has been a part of the Connection Salon (a break away group from Gallery Gachet) since its inception. The Human Girl discovered herself during being locked down during COVID and is now happily participating in and producing drag shows and is enrolled in fashion school designing outfits for performances. 88Wayy was born in raised in Lagos Nigeria. He came to Canada at 16 years to go to school and is now employed as a civil engineer. Making rap speaks to his soul and he fills his days with the logic of civil engineering and his nights with music. One of 88Wayy’s songs “One Shot” is included in the programming along with another song by GOLDbard who performed at the event, “Want to Be”.

Music by Shari Ulrich