Menopause Awareness Programme for the Screen Sector: Workshop & Panel

Workshop & Panel: A Dual Lens - From Perception to Representation

Date of delivery: Saturday, 15th November, 2025

Duration:  

• Workshop: 09:30 - 12:00
• Networking 12:00 - 12:30
• Panel: 12:30 - 14:00

Venue: Nano Nagles, Cork City.

Cost: Free (workshop & panel)

Event Profile:

The National Talent Academies, in partnership with Women in Film & TV Ireland (WFT.I), Screen Guilds of Ireland (SGI), and Cork International Film Festival (CIFF), present, as part of the Menopause Awareness Programme for the Screen Sector, this in-person event which explores how menopause is portrayed—and often misunderstood—both culturally and creatively.

The session begins with a hands-on creative workshop led by Jennifer Davidson, empowering participants to reimagine menopause narratives through storytelling and screenwriting.

Workshop content:

Framing Menopause

Case Studies & Creative Provocations

Character Remix: Who Gets to Menopause?

Writing the Shift: Scene Work

It is followed by a panel (also being live-streamed) featuring leading voices from film, television, academia, and crew, examining how menopause, menopausal people, and mid-life women are framed in screen culture.

Panellists:

Contributing Moderator – Dr Susan Liddy

Academic  - Deborah Jermyn

Director – Janicke Askevolde

Producer – Max Brady

Crew - Louise Mathews

Complementing the theme, Solomamma —a film about a woman in her 40s who becomes a single mother via sperm donation—will screen at CIFF following the workshop.

Why Attend?

Break the stereotypes – challenge outdated portrayals of menopause on screen.

Boost your skills – gain creative tools to tell authentic, powerful stories.

Learn from leaders – hear fresh insights from experts across film, TV, and academia.

Shape the future – help build a more inclusive and representative screen culture.

Participant Profile:

WORKSHOP:

Writers who are interested in exploring the theme of Menopause in their work through disrupting constructs and reimagining authentic, diverse narratives.

PANEL:

This panel is for anyone interested in the theme of Menopause and how it is represented in the Screen Sector. 

Application/Registration Procedure:

WORKSHOP (09:30 – 12:00)

Applications now closed. Still time to register for the panel - link below.

Please note that places on this workshop are limited, and whilst we’d love to accommodate everyone, we may not be able to.

Selection on courses/programmes will be based on the quality of the application and industry experience relevant to the course and participant profile.  

PANEL (12:30-14:00)

Please register online at this LINK. 

Confirmation: Once you submit your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with full details and venue location. Please check your SPAM. 

SCREENING (15:30)

Solomamma tickets can be purchased online from the CIFF website on this LINK. For a 20% discount on tickets, please use code NTA_SOL_2025

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For technical difficulties with the online system, please email brian.murphy@nationaltalentacademies.ie

National Talent Academies courses and events are open to all regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

Reasonable accommodations: We aim to accommodate all attendees to help ensure they can successfully participate in our programmes. Reasonable accommodations are adjustments or modifications we can make to help those with disabilities participate fully in our training events.

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Workshop Facilitator:

Writer and Creative Producer, Jennifer founded Mayo-based production company HeartFelt Drama in 2023 to champion and develop great stories and great talent rooted in the west of Ireland. An experienced screenwriter with over 100 TV drama credits to her name, Jennifer began her career in documentary production and development. She’s been a core member of the writing team on RTE’s Fair City since 2011. She is currently developing an original rom-com series through her own production company, and has a number of other original series and feature films in development. Jennifer has been Chair of the Writers Guild of Ireland since 2020, and more recently was also elected Chair of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds. A fierce advocate for Irish writers, through her work with the Writers Guild, she has originated and run a wide number of training and development initiatives for new writers. She regularly delivers guest lectures to many of Ireland’s third-level institutes. Her development credits include work for Scratch Films, O’Sullivan Productions, Independent Pictures, Animo, Adare, Shinawil, Coco and Kite. 

Jennifer is represented by Christina Pickworth at Imagine Talent