What Does He Need? is a long-term project by artist, writer and educator Fiona Whelan, theatre company Brokentalkers and Rialto Youth Project. This project is a critical inquiry into the formation of masculinity, exploring how men and boys are shaped by and influence the world.

Presented on the façade of IMMA’s main reception, What Does He Need? offers a range of viewpoints on the needs of men and boys in different scenarios and at different stages of life. The short texts are responses to the central question What Does He Need? and were gathered through workshops with adults and young people as part of an ongoing inquiry into the current state of masculinity.

The texts are accompanied by a 30-minute audio piece which tells the story of a fictional boy from the day of his birth to early adulthood. Throughout his young life, the boy is confronted by a series of situations, weaving between themes of empathy, power, the suppression of vulnerability, violence, mental health, pornography, and suicide. The public is invited to listen to the audio and to consider their own responses to the question What Does He Need?.

IMMA advises that the accompanying audio work deals with themes of violence and suicide.