| Event type: | National and Regional Zoom Events |
| Date: | Friday 6th November 2026 |
| Time: | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm |
| Venue: | Zoom |
| Organiser: |
The Third Age Trust
|
| Cost: | Free |
| Booking: | Note that booking is required. |
Explore how Joni Mitchell’s Blue transforms melancholy into a creative force, opening a path to self-awareness and self-possession.
About the series
A series of talks by Professor Christopher Dowrick, illustrating how the creative arts, including literature, poetry, music, sculpture and painting, can enhance our wellbeing.
Melancholy as a Creative Force: Joni Mitchell's Blue Album
Melancholy is a longing to create new ways of being. In her 1971 album Blue, Mitchell confronts and conveys the lived experience of melancholy, engaging with the process of sitting with pain until it offers self-awareness. The album is a sign not merely of sadness, but of self-possession.
About the speaker
Christopher Dowrick is a member of Orrell Park and District u3a. He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Liverpool, with a career focussing on mental health. He has a long standing interest in how the humanities and science can combine to enhance our wellbeing.