# Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival > The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival \(SMHAF\) is an annual celebration of the arts and mental health taking place across Scotland\. Join us 19 October to 8 November 2026\. Generated by Yoast SEO v28.4, this is an llms.txt file, meant for consumption by LLMs. ## Pages - [Home](https://www.mhfestival.com/): The 20th Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival \(SMHAF\) takes place from 19 October to 8 November, exploring the theme of Reflections\. - [Events](https://www.mhfestival.com/events/): Explore events at the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival\. - [Event Submissions](https://www.mhfestival.com/get-involved/event-submissions/): The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2026 will take place from 19 October to 8 November\. Submit your event and be part of our national programme\. - [Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival in Renfrewshire](https://www.mhfestival.com/get-involved/organisations/scottish-mental-health-arts-festival-in-renfrewshire/): Get involved in the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival in Renfrewshire, which aims to connect attendees with ongoing arts and cultural activity across the region to continue supporting people’s mental health\. - [Volunteer](https://www.mhfestival.com/get-involved/volunteer/) ## Posts - [SMHAF Celebrates its 20th Year with Reflections Theme](https://www.mhfestival.com/2026/02/smhaf-celebrates-its-20th-year-with-reflections-theme/): In 2026, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival celebrates its 20th Year with the theme of Reflections\. From 19 October to 8 November, it’s an opportunity to recognise two decades of mental health and creativity while looking at where we are now and where we might go next\. - [SMHAF 2026 Writing Competition — Reflections](https://www.mhfestival.com/2026/06/smhaf-2026-writing-competition/): Enter the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival's 2026 writing competition with new writing inspired by mental health and our theme of Reflections\. - [Frankie McNair is first comedian to win Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award](https://www.mhfestival.com/2026/08/frankie-mcnair-is-first-comedian-to-win-mental-health-foundation-fringe-award/): Australian comedian Frankie McNair has won the 2026 Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, for Huge Ass Mindset, a stand\-up comedy show about her experiences of complex PTSD resulting from childhood sexual abuse\. - [Holding the Mirror: What we learned from the Mental Health Art Network Event with Bryony Kimmings and Felicity Ward ](https://www.mhfestival.com/2026/08/holding-the-mirror-what-we-learned-from-the-mental-health-art-network-event-with-bryony-kimmings-and-felicity-ward/): Award\-winning performance artist Bryony Kimmings and comedian Felicity Ward shared their experiences of creating work about mental health for The Mental Health Arts Network event - [Writing Competition Entry Form](https://www.mhfestival.com/2026/05/writing-competition-entry-form/): Enter the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival's 2026 writing competition with new writing inspired by mental health and our theme of Reflections\. ## Online Exhibits - [Comfort \& Disturb — A Volunteer Collective Zine](https://www.mhfestival.com/explore/comfort-disturb-a-volunteer-collective-zine/): During SMHAF 2025, our Volunteer Collective invited audiences, participants, and artists to create their own postcard artworks in response to our theme Comfort \& Disturb, then brought them together to make this collage\-style zine\. - [Eilidh Morris: Vessels](https://www.mhfestival.com/explore/my-normality/eilidh-morris-vessels/): Vessels is a five\-minute film created by Dundee\-based artist Eilidh Morris in collaboration with musician Johnny Threshold, and filmed in Dundee and Tayport\. - [My Normality](https://www.mhfestival.com/explore/my-normality/): My Normality is a series of artist commissions developed for the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2021\. - [Jack Webb: Like Stone](https://www.mhfestival.com/explore/my-normality/jack-webb-like-stone/): Like Stone is a new dance film by Jack Webb which portrays the normality of 'a live lived in soft focus'\. - [Jordy Deelight: Two in the Morning, One at Night](https://www.mhfestival.com/explore/my-normality/jordy-deelight-two-in-the-morning-one-at-night/): This film by Jordy Deelight looks at transformative ways that kaftrio changed their cystic fibrosis physically and mirtazapine helped them deal with their mental health and work through their past trauma with online therapy\. ## Events - [Creative Catalyst — Workshops](https://www.mhfestival.com/events/creative-catalyst-workshops/): Creative Catalyst Scotland CIC will bring together young people aged 16–24 in Perth for a series of workshops led by artist Caitlin Hanna\. Their work will be showcased at Perth Creative Exchange during SMHAF 2026\. - [The Postcard Project](https://www.mhfestival.com/events/the-postcard-project/): Join Mindspace for a series of friendly, informal creative sessions as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2026\. - [Reflections of Belonging](https://www.mhfestival.com/events/reflections-of-belonging/): Join artist Syrraa Ali for a free series of creative mixed\-media workshops exploring identity, belonging, memory and wellbeing through painting, collage and texture\. - [Participatory Arts and Mental Health: A Good Practice Resource — Glasgow Launch](https://www.mhfestival.com/events/participatory-arts-and-mental-health-a-good-practice-resource-glasgow-launch/): SMHAF has published Participatory Arts and Mental Health: A Good Practice Resource\. This in\-person event will bring together artists and organisations who contributed to the resource, as well as anyone else interested in its findings\. - [Participatory Arts and Mental Health: A Good Practice Resource — Online Launch](https://www.mhfestival.com/events/participatory-arts-and-mental-health-a-good-practice-resource-online-launch/): SMHAF has published Participatory Arts and Mental Health: A Good Practice Resource\. This online event will bring together artists and organisations who contributed to the resource, as well as anyone else interested in its findings\. ## Optional - [Sitemap index](https://www.mhfestival.com/sitemap_index.xml)