NICOLA Sturgeon is set to talk all things menopause at a festival next month as she continues to try and get women talking more openly about the issue following an appearance on Loose Women.
The First Minister will headline the Menopause Café’s #FlushFest2022 which will be held online on June 17 and 18 this year after the format was successfully trialled in 2021.
Previously held in Perth, it is the world’s only menopause festival with a range of talks and workshops taking place to shed a light on the taboo subject.
Sturgeon will be in conversation with journalist Kirsty Wark (below) as they talk about navigating the menopause as high-profile, business professionals.
Taking place on Saturday, June 18, ticketholders will be able to submit questions to them both before Thursday, June 9.
The First Minister discussed the menopause in an episode of Loose Women last month, admitting it wasn’t something she felt “entirely comfortable” talking about.
She said there was still a lot of stigma around it and admitted she was anxious about how she was going to cope with it as a public figure.
She added: "I feel a responsibility for the next generation of women, so they can read and say 'this is what it was like'."
Sturgeon also spoke about the subject on The Shift podcast and described how she felt "a responsibility" to talk about her experiences.
The festival will kick off on Friday, June 17, with a Menopause Comedy Night featuring a line-up of comedians riffing on a mid-life or menopause theme. This will be hosted by Pauline Eyre who appeared at last year’s show.
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The Saturday will then be jam-packed full of talks and workshops on symptoms, mental health, working through the menopause, creativity and how the menopause impacts on sex.
Author and personal trainer Amanda Thebe will talk to guests about building resilience and strength through the menopause while mentor and business coach Dinah Tobias will discuss how to continue working while enduring symptoms covering areas such as your legal rights as employees and how to get support from HR and your line manager.
Other events include a creative arts workshop with artist Sarah Grove-White which will explore the sensory experiences of women who are either directly affected or facing symptoms of the perimenopause or menopause transition, while therapist Diane Danzebrink will talk about the psychological symptoms of the menopause.
Certified sexological bodyworker Claire MacAulay will run an interactive workshop focussing on the effect the menopause can have on sexual desire and founder of Menopause Yoga Petra Coveney will explain the benefits of specific poses, breathing and meditation techniques.
You can book tickets and find out more at https://www.menopausecafe.net/menopause-festival-2022-flushfest2022/
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