Are You Sitting Comfortably? is a one-day programme showcasing new mental health themed theatre by Emma Lynne Harley, Milly Sweeney, Ese Ighorae, and Skye Loneragan, plus creative conversations, installations and more.
Book now for a day of memorable performances and lively conversation, bringing together a community of people who are making thought-provoking creative work about mental health. Afterwards, why not stay with us for SMHAF x A Kick Up The Arts, an evening of conversation and music with songwriters Emma Pollock, Jo Mango and Amy Duncan, hosted by broadcaster Nicola Meighan and beginning at 7pm in the same venue.
Performances
Skye Loneragan: The Playlist
11.30am-12.15pm
Australian kitchen-dancer ‘SkyeC’ is to represent Scotland in a brand new category of the Olympic Games, ‘Coping Strategies’. A comic, playful exploration of coping strategies through performance that focuses on everyday stories of managing one’s own mental health.
This sharing is part of the project’s R&D, supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
Milly Sweeney: Almond
1-2pm
A new performance about the complexities of eating disorders and diet culture, and the dangers of online communities.
Supported by SMHAF.
Ese Ighorae: Between the Lines
2.30-3.30pm
A dark comedy work-in-progress play exploring the experiences of dark-skinned Black women navigating institutional racism in the arts sector and the profound toll this takes on their mental health. The piece amplifies their voices, shedding light on the emotional weight of being the only person of colour in predominantly white spaces.
Supported by SMHAF.
Emma Lynne Harley: Walking on Eggshells
4-5.30pm
A work in progress sharing of a new Siren and Scissor Kick co-production about surviving an abusive relationship, followed by a panel discussion.
Supported by Creative Scotland.
Drop-In
Kanae Park: Obsessive Confectionary Delights
All day
Artist Kanae Park explores her experience of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) through the symbolic form of doughnuts. Made from Jesmonite, these perfectly shaped, pastel-toned doughnuts evoke comfort, nostalgia, and indulgence, but their repeated form and sterile precision subtly reflect the looping, compulsive thoughts that characterise OCD. Kanae will share her work – and show you how to make your own OCD doughnuts – throughout the day.
