Point Assist founder Mark Direen says Yarns Around a Bar aims to create a more positive veteran dialogue. Photo: Mark Direen.
Veterans from across Canberra will gather this Thursday (7 December) to share tales from their deployments for an evening of healing.
Members of the public are also encouraged to attend and gain a rare and unfiltered insight into the experiences of those who have served. The event promises to be inspiring and entertaining.
Started by veteran-run consultancy Point Assist, the program empowers veterans to share their experiences with other veterans.
The night at the Durham Arms Hotel in Kingston also aims to break down the public’s misconceptions about those who have served, with veteran and Point Assist director Mark Direen saying the discussions will work to create a more positive veteran dialogue.
Participating veterans are given 10 to 15 minutes each to tell their story. Short breaks will be taken between each tale, the nature of which will vary from humorous to confronting.
“It may be an epic story or something that’s entertaining or humorous. It might even be a story that’s got a little bit of trauma behind it,” says Mark.
Mark began Point Assist while working as a security contractor for the Australian embassy in Kabul.
In the years that followed, the business has evolved away from the defence industry and now provides personal development programs in the form of expeditions and adventure travel designed to help people develop their core skills.
Alongside his personal development business, Mark also runs various projects designed to support veterans, including the Yarns Around a Bar program.
Originating in Tasmania, Mark says he drew inspiration from Point & Shoot, the Australian veteran photography exhibition he started in 2020.
During the exhibition, Mark felt strongly that people should take the time to read the accompanying story that came with each photo so that they could understand why the photo’s subject was so powerful to the veteran who captured it.
He adds that Yarns Around a Bar is an adaptation of Point and Shoot, only instead of using photos, “we’re letting the veteran stand up and paint the picture in their own words”.
By providing a forum for them to share their experiences, Mark says the program can help veterans cope with trauma and reflect on how they grew from their experiences.
“It’s very difficult to move on from trauma if you’re mentally unable to talk about it. We also encourage the speakers to share what they learnt from their experience as well.”
Yarns Around a Bar will run from 6 pm to 8 pm on Thursday, 7 December. Run by veteran Marc Grainger, Kingston’s popular Durham Castle Arms Hotel will be serving pub food and craft beer on tap.
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