Stand Up Comic, mental health Comics|Stand Up for Mental Health

Having David train your members or consumers and run a Stand Up For Mental Health program in your city is a great way to reach the public and fight stigma around mental illness. Because this project is so unique and innovative, it's usually quite easy to get a lot of media coverage. And if you want to get entrepreneurial, you can use the shows as a fundraiser to offset the costs of putting on the program.

David Granirer will train up to 10 of your people to do stand-up comedy routines about their mental health journeys and perform their routines at a showcase. The showcase is a great vehicle for building the confidence of the participants and fighting public stigma in the community.

Training: Weekly classes are delivered via Skype. David also goes over the comic's acts and gives one-on-one feedback via phone and email. Each student also gets the Stand Up For Mental Health workbook.

On Site Rehearsal: David flies in a day before the show and conducts an on-site rehearsal/workshop for the students, preferably in the performance venue. He also runs and MCs the showcase.

Promotion and ticket sales for showcase: David can supply you with a news release. Our experience has been that since this project is so unique, it's easy to get lots of media coverage. This is a great way to draw attention to the show and also raise awareness for your organization and an event like Mental Health Week or depression screening day etc. In the past we’ve received lots of coverage on radio, TV, newspapers and magazines.

Note: This proposal assumes that there will be someone from your organization who would oversee the logistics on your end, ie. recruiting the comics, providing the room for the Skype classes, booking and paying for the venue for the showcase, and liaising with other organizations re shows, and other help as needed.

Here's what people are saying about David's Stand Up For Mental Health trainings:

I wanted to personally thank you for the time and talent you so graciously shared with us at the DBSA National Conference. The show was a personal highlight for me, and I know others have shared similar sentiments as well. I believe SO strongly in your work with Stand Up for Mental Health and will continue to do all I can to spread the word about this outstanding, empowering program.

We were totally wowed by the show you and your group of comics did at the NAMI National Convention! The standing ovation you received was well-deserved. Having people talk about their recovery journeys through stand-up comedy is such a great way to fight stigma. It's so refreshing and inspiring to see humor brought to such a serious issue.

We were amazed at how great your Stand Up For Mental Health presentation was. I heard our former Board chair say that this was "the most effective anti-stigma event she's ever seen"!! Lots of kudos! The comics you trained performed wonderfully, and were thrilled with their time on stage. We also had a great turnout, obviously there was a lot of interest in your program.

Thank you and your comics for the entertainment and education that you provided us. Wow, what a way to educate people! The show was great! I had many employees, including our Regional Director General and Assistant Commissioner of Coast Guard, commenting on how much they enjoyed it.

The performance you and the comics you trained did at our annual conference left everyone beaming. The comics were all hilarious, and it was great to see them take their mental health issues and find the humor in them. Your work is a great way to give a voice to people with mental health issues and to give their audience a completely different perspective on what it means to be a mental health consumer. People in the audience who are in mental health recovery were also totally energized by the demonstration that peers actually can successfully take a big leap outside their comfort zones.

It was great to see the two Stand Up For Mental Health shows you did in Toronto and St. Catharines.

The comics you trained were funny and very insightful about their mental health issues. The fact that they got a standing ovation indicates that the show was a huge hit! What they had to say really resonated with the audience, many of whom face their own mental health issues.

Your project really gives people with mental illness a chance to prove what they're capable of. I know that the two clients from our organization who participated in the shows were thrilled with the results!

We look forward to being part of more Stand Up For Mental Health shows in the future.

Your Stand Up For Mental Health was a huge hit at our conference! The prolonged standing ovation said it all. You were all hilarious, and the fact that you were able to train the comics in only 6-weeks via Skype is amazing. Afterwards people were raving about your show. What a great way to begin our conference on a high while also addressing some serious issues around mental health!

For the second year in a row the show you did for us was a great success. The comics you trained all did a great job, and you were hilarious too. Thanks for helping us to fight stigma in our community with laughter and fun.