Now that the festival has come to an end, we would like to thank everyone who has spent time with us in our very special 10th year. As always, we have been amazed and inspired by the dedication and commitment we have seen from everyone who has been involved, not only this year but over the course of the last decade. With over 300 events now taking place every year in communities across Scotland, it’s safe to say that we couldn’t do it without you.
We would like to take time to express our gratitude to everyone who has made the festival such a success this year: the partners, coordinators, staff and volunteers who made it all possible; the artists, activists, organisations and venues who helped create such a rich and engaging programme; the journalists and Talking Heads reporters who helped spread the word about the valuable work we are doing; and everyone who attended and participated in events this year, making each one unique and memorable.
The coming days will also give us time to reflect on a 10th festival which saw our first ever theatre commission, Alan Bissett’s One Thinks of It All as a Dream, performed to sell-out audiences in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen; an incredible film programme, headed by Tom Fassaert’s A Family Affair, which won the Grand Jury Prize in our International Film Competition (and is now available to watch on Netflix!); and our biggest ever Out of Sight, Out of Mind exhibition, which launched at a packed-out Summerhall on World Mental Health Day.
We have made time to hold stimulating, challenging and important discussions about mental health and the arts, epitomised by events like our day in residence at the National Theatre of Scotland’s Home Away and the inspirational storytelling evening Real Talk; take arts events into communities across the country, including touring theatre productions Experts in Short Trousers and Where the Crow Flies; and provide unique opportunities to get involved, from meditating with Britain’s Got Talent star Edward Reid to ballroom dancing in Paisley!
If you are already starting to miss the festival, there is no need to worry. We will be continuing our year-round programme of events in 2017 and, even before then, we have plenty for you to look forward to. We’re hosting a series of films in November, including Life, Animated at Dunoon Film Festival and Cork Film Festival‘s Illuminate mental health strand, La Pared De Las Palabras at Havana Glasgow Film Festival, and Hedi Schneider is Stuck at the Fokus: Films from Germany season at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse.
Keep an eye on our website and social media pages for updates on what we have in store, including our closing report on this year’s festival and details about how to submit your work to our annual international film and writing competitions. We look forward to seeing you at future events and thank you again for making our 10th year a time to remember!