In close collaboration with stakeholders, experts, healthcare professionals, and people with lived experience, we have developed comprehensive concepts to promote perinatal mental health in our recent workshops. These concepts cover key areas such as coordination, early detection, mobile services, and awareness-raising.
The approach to awareness-raising and education on perinatal mental health in Tyrol aims to reach both professionals and the general public, thereby strengthening the understanding of this important issue.
Planned measures include the implementation of training programs such as workshops and seminars for physicians, midwives, nurses, and psychotherapists. In addition, the topic should be integrated into existing medical training opportunities, particularly into annual gynecology conferences. The development of training materials, including guidelines, brochures, and e-learning modules, aims to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental health disorders. An expert network will be established to promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices, supported by regular supervision and case discussions for healthcare professionals. As part of the evaluation process, surveys will be conducted to assess the level of knowledge and analyse the utilisation of support services before and after awareness-raising initiatives.
With regard to the general public, the objective is to increase knowledge about perinatal mental health and to reduce existing taboos and stigma. For this purpose, we have planned two collaborations:
ART IN PUBLIC SPACE: SOLANGE BY KATHARINA CIBULKA
How can feminist social criticism be made visible, right in the middle of public space? Artist Katharina Cibulka has found an impressive answer to this question with her project SOLANGE. Her goal is to make social power structures visible and spark discussion about gender inequalities— in a creative, subtle, yet deeply striking way.
At the heart of the project are large-format nets, like those usually found on construction sites. Striking phrases are stitched in pink tulle. Each message begins with “As long as…” and ends with “…I am a feminist.” Here is an example from Innsbruck:
These net messages (between 200–400 m² in size) create tension between the supposedly “feminine” connotation of handcraft and the male-dominated environment of the construction site. The result is powerful interventions in everyday life that challenge existing gender roles, prejudices, and social norms—while also sparking conversations.
To date, 33 nets have been installed on buildings in different cities, each serving as a visible symbol of equality. In addition, workshops and lectures with young people and adults are held regularly, where new “As long as…” sentences are created and added to the growing collection.
We are truly inspired by Katharina’s work and believe that motherhood and its challenges could gain the attention they deserve through such a project!
CLICK HERE to learn more about SOLANGE.
THEATER THAT MOVES: FORUM THEATRE BY ARMIN STAFFLER
As part of the Dialogue Week on Alcohol, our team experienced a special form of theatre that not only addresses social challenges but also makes them tangible: Forum Theatre, developed by Augusto Boal and implemented in Innsbruck by Armin Staffler and his act:it team.
Act:it is a project of the association kontakt+co and uses innovative theatre methods to enable young people to actively engage with social issues, discover their own scope for action, and actively shape change. At the center is Forum Theatre as a low-threshold, creative tool for political education and empowerment.
The concept: A short scene presents a challenging, usually negatively unfolding everyday situation. In the context of our project, for example, a mother with postpartum depression who is not understood by her family or within the support system. Afterwards, the audience is invited to step onto the stage, take over a role, and try out alternative courses of action. This creates discussion, perspective shifts, and new ideas—without moralizing, but with plenty of room for personal experiences.
For us, it became clear: This form of theatre not only reveals what often remains unspoken in everyday life, but also invites people to get involved, think along, and explore new spaces for action together.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Forum Theatre.