Experience art festival events

East Kilbride residents are being encouraged to take in some of this year’s Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival before it ends.

The festival, which ends this Sunday, is one of Scotland’s most diverse cultural events, covering everything from music, film and visual art to theatre, dance, and literature.

It takes place in venues across Scotland, including Lanarkshire, and aims to support the arts and challenge preconceived ideas about mental health.

This is the 11th year of the festival and the theme is‘Reclaim’.

Susan McMorrin, NHS Lanarkshire senior health promotion officer, mental health, said:“Reclaim has always been at the heart of everything we do.

“Over the years, the festival has provided a platform for people with experience of mental ill health to claim a place in the arts - whether as performers, participants or audience members.

“We have seen first-hand how the arts can help people reclaim their experiences, better understand them and share them with others.”

Despite the fact that most people will have some personal experience of mental ill health, stigma and discrimination is still common within our society.

The SMHAF provides a platform to challenge, engage and explore the issues and themes around mental health.

Susan continued:“The festival reminds us all that mental health is important to all of us and we must all value and look after ours and others’ mental health.

“Being, involved, creative, connected and learning new things are very important to our mental health.

“Therefore, the festival is for all of us.

Lanarkshire has 20 different events running during the festival which are all promoted in the SMHAF brochure on pages 42- 45 at this website:

http://www.elament.org.uk/ news-events/2017/9/ the-scottish-mental-health-artsfestival/