EVENTS LIST 2022
Programme for the 2022 Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival Highland.
Festival Opening Event
Thursday 5th May at the Bike Shed from 2pm – 5pm
The organisations involved in SMHAF Highland will be launching the festival at the Bike Shed (Merkinch, Inverness) with music and spoken word.
Art Safari Highland exhibition
1st – 31st May at the Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore (open 10am – 5pm)
Robyn Woolston is a visual artist who has been working with rural communities to create Art Safari Highland, a programme that actively embraces the Five Ways to Health and Wellbeing (New Economics Foundation) by providing a flexible space to experiment with new materials, explore new contexts and learn new skills. Participants are producing paintings that represent an ‘A-Z of Mental Health’ containing personal reflections, anecdotes and advice; the results will be on show at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore throughout May, as well as online. See Art Safari on Instagram.
Art Exhibition – A Gathering of Story Art
3rd – 27th May
Eden Court Theatre & Cinema, Inverness
A Gathering of Story Art is this year’s theme. Art for wellbeing can tell many stories. Here we see the gathering of joyful creative expression from online and in-person sessions to support mental health in this exhibition curated by Creativity in Care. With contributions from Highland Senior Citizens Network, Rag Tag n Textile, centred (formerly known as Birchwood Highland), Blazing Needles and High Life Highland.
Art Exhibition
5th – 28th May
Art exhibition at the Bike Shed, Merkinch, Inverness.
FREE MINDFULNESS TASTER SESSIONS
The Highland Mindfulness Group is offering free taster sessions throughout the festival. To book your free place – contact highlandmindfulness@gmail.com
- Nairn library – Monday 9th May (5.30 – 6.30pm) – Taster session with Liz
- Culloden Library – Tuesday 10th May (10.30am – 11.30am) – Taster session with Rona
- Inverness Library (reference room) – Thursday 12th May (10.30am – 11.30am) – Taster session with Rona
- Golspie Library – Saturday 14th May (9.30am – 10.30am) – Taster session with Val
- Beauly Library (Phipps Hall) – Saturday 14th May (11am – 12 noon) – Taster session with Catherine
- Wick Library – Tuesday 17th May (7pm – 8pm) – Taster session with Val
- Dingwall Library – Wednesday 18th May (10am – 11am) – Taster session with Catherine
- Nairn library – Thursday 19th May (5.30 – 6.30pm) – Taster session with Jan
- Inverness Library (reference room) – Thursday 19th May (2.30pm – 3.30pm) – Join Meg for 30 minutes of mindful movement & 30 minutes of relaxation (please bring a yoga mat, blanket, pillow & wear loose clothing)
Plus 2 mindfulness sessions online:
- Taster session with Jan on Zoom – Wednesday 11th May (11am – 12 noon)
- Taster session with Liz on Zoom – Wednesday 18th May (7.30pm – 8.30pm)
Film Night
Sunday 8th May at 7.30pm
Film night showing The Truman Show at Eden Court, followed by a discussion about the issues raised. Tickets £5 / £4 from Eden Court – Book tickets. Some free tickets will be distributed via local SMHAF Highland partner groups.
Riptide
9th May (7.30pm) at the Highland Cinema in Fort William
This 90-minute film by Tim Barrow is being screened in Inverness and in Fort William.
Discharged from a psychiatric hospital, Jacob attempts to resume life in Edinburgh, control his schizophrenia and be a worthy member of society. He works collecting litter from streets and parks. He boxes. He takes medication. He writes everything down. His Dad barely wants to know him. Frustrated by this banal existence and encouraged by his psychiatrist, Jacob sets off to the Highlands in search of fulfilment. By the sea he finds the charismatic Eva, who claims to be the secret daughter of Ingmar Bergman. And she is on a mission.
Highland Cinema, Fort William – book tickets
Book talk
Monday 9th May from 10am – 11am at Tain Library
Local author Philip Paris will be discussing his book “Men Cry Alone” which has a storyline of domestic abuse and loneliness.
One Mississippi
11th May at 7.30pm
One Touch Theatre at Eden Court, Inverness
A hard-hitting verbatim play that explores how the impact of childhood experiences shape men’s adult lives, and the journey it takes them on. Blending humour and storytelling with powerful elements of physical theatre, One Mississippi is an uncompromising insight into what takes us to breaking point. Book tickets.
‘GATHER’ – Planting and Postcards
Thursday 12th May from 3pm – 5pm in Ullapool Library
Library staff and the countryside ranger invite you to journey to the library any way you can; on foot, bike, wheelchair or car. Pause along the way to gather natural objects fallen on the ground. We will then gather in the library to look at your collected items in detail and recreate shapes and patterns on postcards. Drawing materials, additional items from nature and stamps will be provided so that you can send these to someone if you wish. In addition, we will be planting sunflower seeds for you to take away. These are for beauty, for insects to gather nectar and pollen from and for the birds to gather seeds from. No booking required, just turn up at any time between 3pm and 5pm. Suitable for all ages.
Tree Chatter Walks
Friday 13th May 11am – 12.30pm or 2pm – 3.30pm
Organised by Creativity in Care. Meet at Evanton Community Wood log cabin. As we walk over amazing mycelium networks connecting underground root systems, we’ll hear how trees warn each other and support each other. At Mag’s Wood we’ll do some root doodle story art. Contact hello@creativityincare.org.
Poetry In Motion – A Gathering of Leaves
Inverness Library – Tuesday 17th May (2pm – 3pm)
Alness Library – Wednesday 18th May (2pm – 3pm) TBC
Tain Library – Saturday 21st May (11am – 12pm)
Wick Library – Thursday 26th May (11am – 12pm)
An hour of uplifting chat and readings from our book of poems written by local people about our lives, mental health, dementia and observations with Creativity in Care. Please book via the library or contact info@creativityincare.org
Tain Poetry Group
Tain Library – Saturday 21st May (11am – 12pm)
Join Tain Poetry Group for an afternoon of poetry about mental health – bring along a couple of poems (your’s or anyone else’s). Please book via the library or contact info@creativityincare.org
Walk A Mile
Saturday 28th May from 9.30am for 10am start
The annual SMHAF Highland Walk a Mile in Inverness to raise awareness of mental health issues. From the fishermen’s hut by Bught Park along the River Ness to Falcon Square. As numbers are limited to 200 people, please register via smhafhighland@gmail.com. (Please note the riverside and town centre may be busy as there is a music event at the Northern Meeting Park)
Festival Closing event
Saturday 28th May 2pm – 5pm
Join us at the Bike Shed (Merkinch, Inverness) for an informal afternoon of music, film, art and spoken word from SMHAF Highland partner organisations.
Meaningful Objects
Saturday 4th June from 2pm – 4pm
North Coast Helping Hands special event. Do you have a meaningful object? We would love to hear your story behind it! And get a photo taken by award winning photographer Mike Roper. Or why not come along and be part of the audience – there will be plenty of tea, coffee and home baking available. Suitable for all ages. If you would like to share your story with us please email Donna coordinator@northcoastconnection.org.uk
There are more events in the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival in other regions and nationwide
SMHAF Highland 