Elament - eLanarkshire Mental Health Resource

A host of events featuring film, theatre, music, art and literature will once again be held in Lanarkshire as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival from 1-24 October.

Now in its fifth year, the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival is the largest festival of its kind in the world and is becoming a major cultural event in Scotland.

Avril Thomson, NHS Lanarkshire senior health promotion officer, said: "The festival aims to promote positive attitudes towards mental health and mental illness. The events are open to everyone, not just those involved in mental health. One in four people will experience a mental health problem at some stage in their life and 75 per cent of us will know someone personally who has a mental health problem. Despite the fact that most people will have some personal experience of mental ill health, stigma, discrimination and inequality experienced by people, young and old, who have or have had mental health care needs is common place within our society. The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival provides a platform to challenge, engage and explore the issues and themes around mental health."

The multi-arts festival aims to promote positive mental health in the context of equality and social justice, explore the relationship between the mind and creativity and create a dialogue with the public, the media and the arts about what mental health means to us all.

All events are free or of low cost and take place in dozens of venues across Scotland throughout the month of October.

The festival encompasses film, comedy, music, theatre, literature and visual art in a unique partnership of arts, health and community organisations.

For further information on the festival events in Lanarkshire, please visit the festival website www.mhfestival.com  or the Lanarkshire festival page.

Alternatively contact Avril on 01698 377 626 Avril.Thomson@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk

The Festival is led by: The Mental Health Foundation 0141 572 0125

Lanarkshire festival partners include:
NHS Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, Lanarkshire Links, The University of West of Scotland, Bazooka Arts, Clubnet, Lanarkshire Association for Mental Health, Equals Advocacy, SAMH, Choose Life and Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership.

Bazooka Arts is delighted to offer you the opportunity to host an art exhibition in your place of work. This could be in a foyer, a corridor, a meeting room - in fact any space where staff and visitors pass by. By hosting an exhibition you can help to promote the benefit of the arts on positive mental health and wellbeing. These accomplished and inspiring artworks were created on past projects by adults who have been affected by mental health, disability or age related illness. All exhibitions demonstrate the high quality arts projects which have taken place through the North Lanarkshire Connections Project and The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival.

For further deatisl and to view examples of the art work, please see the attached flyer.

2010 SMHAFF Launched in Lanarkshire, Rutherglen Town Hall, 1st September
1 - 24 October 2010

Now a regular on the arts scene, the 4th Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival has grown to become one of Scotland's most valued cultural events with nearly 200 exciting and affordable events taking place in venues throughout the country.

The Festival has engaged artists, connected with communities and formed partnerships across Scotland to help challenge attitudes towards mental health through the arts. The range of issues tackled is broad and arts events include film, music, theatre, literature, comedy and visual art ensuring there is something for everyone.

The festival was launched at Rutherglen Town Hall with live performances from from Rod Jones (Idlewild), Emma Pollock (ex-Delgados) and Jill O'Sullivan (Sparrow and the Workshop), performing songs from a brand new album written and recorded for the festival. Plus rappers Aaron MKD and DJ Costa from the Congolese Music Project in Motherwell.

Further information on the festival events and to download a copy of the brochure, visit the Mental Health Festival page.

The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, led by The Mental Health Foundation and partners, runs from 1 - 22 October 2009.

The festival film competition is now open! In addition, the festival this year are looking for film and song suggestions that make you feel good. Further details can be found at the festival page.

Details of the full 2009 festival programme will be announced on Tuesday 1st September, so please check back for event and booking details.

From Ayrshire to Aberdeen, Dundee to Dumfries,
The 3rd Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival Offers Something For Everyone!
1 - 22 October 2009

Now firmly established in Scotland's cultural calendar, the 3rd annual Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival (mhfestival.com) explores mental health in its broadest sense.

Nearly 200 affordable events will take place in over 100 settings ranging from town halls to miners clubs, universities to hospitals, libraries to cafes and many iconic arts venues in Scotland.

From music gigs and dance performances, to theatre and literature, to film screenings and song-writing workshops, the Festival aims to excite, move, amuse and challenge audiences across the country.

The Festival has engaged artists, connected with communities, created collaborative partnerships and involved people of all ages from all walks of life to transform social attitudes towards mental health through the arts.

Details of the festival events can be found on the Mental Health Festival page.

Lanarkshire played host to a diverse and inspiring line up of events as part of the second Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival

Avril Thomson, senior health promotion officer, said: "We had a really exciting programme of events across Lanarkshire for this year's festival. "Arts and film are excellent ways of exploring our attitudes and understanding of mental health.There are still a lot of outdated attitudes about mental health issues. We hope that the festival events helped people see these in a new light.

The festival, which ran from 1-19 October, included film, comedy, music, theatre, literature and visual art as it brought together a unique partnership of arts, health and community organisations. Among the events was the Well Factor at Motherwell Concert Hall, which included fine performances by local people, displaying how the arts can help improve wellbeing and support recovery.

Ann-Marie Newman, of service user and carer's group Lanarkshire Links, said: "Despite the fact that most people will have some personal experience of mental ill health, stigma, discrimination and inequality is commonplace within our society. "This stigma and discrimination impacts on individuals, families, communities and society as a whole. Most significantly, it stops people recovering their lives. "But it does not need to be this way. "We need positive stories to be held up as an example of what can and does happen."

This year's festival received a boost from Lanarkshire singer-songwriter Pat O'Neill who teamed up with Wet Wet Wet guitarist and producer Graeme Duffin. Pat donated three of his songs to Lanarkshire Links for a promotional CD in support of a mental health awareness raising campaign for the festival.

Pat sings lead vocals on the record and is joined by musicians and backing singers connected to the Foundry Music Lab in Motherwell. Lanarkshire festival partners include NHS Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Lanarkshire Links, The University of Scotland, Bazooka Arts, Clubnet, Lanarkshire Association for Mental Health and Equals Advocacy Partnership.