The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) is seeking proposals for five small artist commissions in response to our theme of Reflections, plus a new young artist commission.
The fee for each commission is £1,000, inclusive of materials. The application deadline was 5pm on Friday 8 May 2026.
Application Information
SMHAF’s artist commissions are open to artists based anywhere in Scotland and working in any discipline – music, film, visual art, performance etc. – as long as the work addresses mental health and responds in a creative way to this year’s theme of Reflections.
Our artist commissions were originally designed to generate new work that can be presented online at www.mhfestival.com, but we are also open to proposals that can be shared in festival venues during our 2026 programme.
The fee for each commission is £1,000 inclusive of materials. We will not prioritise applicants who are able to make work more quickly and we are flexible around access needs. Commissions should ideally be presented during this year’s festival dates, 19 October to 8 November 2026, but we are also open to presenting work later if this would make the opportunity more accessible.
You can find examples of previous SMHAF artist commissions here:
All applications received will be considered for the regular commission. If you are eligible and would also like to be considered for the young artist commission choose the option in the application form and enter your date of birth.
Young Artist Commission
For the first time, we are also offering artists aged 18-25 an opportunity to apply for a new young artist commission, supported by Corra. The fee is £1,000 inclusive of materials.
As with our regular commission opportunity, this is open to artists based anywhere in Scotland and working in any discipline, as long as the work addresses mental health and responds to this year’s theme of Reflections.
It is expected that applicants will have experience of making creative work but this does not need to have been in a professional or formal education setting.
To be eligible, artists must be:
- Aged 18 or over by the application deadline, Friday 8 May 2026.
- Aged 25 or under on the closing date of the festival, Sunday 8 November 2026.
Reflections
Our 2026 festival theme, Reflections, is an invitation to slow down in a world that is moving so fast it can feel impossible just to keep up with events.
How do we take time to reflect when each day’s headlines seem to bring fresh news of political, economic and environmental upheaval? How can we properly understand our own needs when our lives are seldom calm and charged with uncertainty?
The theme also offers the chance to explore the ways that art reflects and shapes the world around us, offering joy, discomfort, catharsis, awe, confusion and clarity.
In SMHAF’s 20th year we are also reflecting on what has shifted in the mental health landscape since the first edition in 2007. Read more about our festival theme here.
Artists are encouraged to interpret the theme in any way that they choose, and we are open to proposals in any artform. The strength of the idea is what counts.
How to Apply
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 8 May 2026. Applications must be made via our online form, which you can find below.
Where relevant, we expect applicants to consider safeguarding for themselves, audiences, and anyone else involved in the creative process, particularly when proposing to work with challenging material. You can find some guidance on safeguarding in our Performing Anxiety resource.
We will email all applicants with decisions no later than Friday 29 May. If you have any questions about the commissions, please email us at smhaf@mentalhealth.org.uk.
Please note that the age guidance has been updated for the young artist commission.
Cover Image
Artwork: Erin McGrath
Photography: Ingrid Mur
