Some fantastic events will be taking place throughout North Ayrshire next month as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival taking place from Tuesday, 1 until 26, October.
This national festival – which has a theme this year of In/Visible – was established in 2007 by the Mental Health Foundation and is one of the world’s leading arts events dedicated to mental health, with the annual programme featuring hundreds of events across a variety of artforms.
As part of the celebrations, a wide range of events for all ages will be taking place in North Ayrshire throughout the month of October, including arts and crafts sessions, exhibitions, poetry workshops, a sunrise walk and a community drumming circle. The majority of events are free to attend, however places must be pre-booked.
North Ayrshire’s official launch event will be taking place on Wednesday 9 October from 6pm to 8pm at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine, hosted by award-winning Ayrshire comedian Billy Kirkwood.
Tickets are free but limited, so book your place now via the Harbour Arts Centre website if you’d like to go along. Find out more about the events happening on the Mental Health Arts Festival website.
The event will offer taster sessions, live performers, guest speakers and art demonstrations, and refreshments will be provided.
Some of the highlights of this year’s event include ‘To Tell or Not toTell’, an evening with special guest Darren McGarvey at the HAC on Tuesday 15 October, where he will explore the values and challenges of sharing a lived experience.
‘Unvelied Voices’ at the HAC on Tuesday 22 October will provide a platform for individuals in mental health recovery to share their poetry and recently-recorded unique songs, with guest poets and performers also taking part.
And ‘Scene: Come and Be’ will see an evening of live entertainment at Fullarton ConneXions in Irvine on Saturday 26 October, featuring music, poetry and storytelling on the theme of mental health.
You can browse all of the North Ayrshire events and book tickets on the Scottish Mental Health Arts Fesitval website, where you also can find more information about what’s happening nationally.