We are delighted to announce a symposium on the arts, mental health, stigma, and social justice, curated by the Mental Health Foundation and See Me.

If you work in the arts sector or the health sector – or are interested in either – we invite you to join us at the CCA for a lively exchange of ideas. The Dust Of Everyday Life (from the phrase ‘art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life’) will offer a space to think, debate, socialise, network, and help shape future editions of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. Some of the questions we will be asking, with input from some of the leading thinkers in arts and mental health include: 

From My Mad Fat Diary to Homeland, is TV waking up to mental health stigma? And is cinema keeping up?

In the age of selfies, Instagram and Blipfoto, how is documenting our lives online impacting on our mental health?

Ten years after the Glasgow Girls helped transform perceptions of a stigmatised community, what can we learn from the campaign?

What happens when you blur the lines between theatre and therapy?

The day will begin with a keynote speech by the renowned Scottish playwright Jo Clifford, and introductions by Lee Knifton (head of Mental Health Foundation, Scotland) and Judith Robertson (programme director See Me), followed by seven one-hour sessions (with a break for lunch) exploring theatre and therapy, portrayals of mental health in film and television, literature and mental health memoirs, photography and mental health, anti-stigma campaigning and more.

Confirmed speakers include:

Jo Clifford (Playwright) – keynote speaker
Lee Knifton (Head of Mental Health Foundation for Scotland)
Judith Robertson (Programme Director See Me)
Richard Warden (Filmmaker and Film Curator at the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival)
Hannah McGill (Film Critic and former Director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival)
Dr Peter Byrne (Consultant Psychiatrist and visiting Professor at University of Strathclyde)
Emma Davie (Documentary filmmaker and Programme Director, Edinburgh College of Art)
Donna Franceschild (Writer, Takin’ over the Asylum)
Andrew Eaton-Lewis (commentator and former group arts editor, Scotsman Publications)
Paul Whitelaw (TV critic)
Joyce McMillan (theatre critic and commentator, the Scotsman)
Cora Bissett (theatre director)
Amal Azzudin (Glasgow Girls campaigner / Mental Health Foundation)
Lindsay Hill (documentary filmmaker)
Chris O’Sullivan (policy and development manager, Mental Health Foundation)
Petya Eckler (lecturer in Journalism and Creative Writing, University of Strathclyde)
Dee Heddon (professor of contemporary performance, Glasgow University)
Nic Green (theatre-maker)
Dr Michael Rowe (Co-Director, Program for Recovery and Community Health, Yale University)

We will be confirming many more speakers in the run-up to the event. Visit our conference page for all the latest updates. 

Booking Details

CCA, Glasgow
Thursday 26 March, 9.30am to 5pm
Free but ticketed (limited capacity, book early!)

Once your booking is confirmed we will contact you about the parallel sessions.

For more information contact smhaff@mentalhealth.org.uk