Following the Scottish Mental Health and Arts Festival around Scotland

Scrabster resident John Sawkins highlights up-and-coming local events for the Scottish Mental Health and Arts Festival (SMHAF) and how he got involved in the multi-arts programme.

Taking place across Scotland from October 4-22, and led by the Mental Health Foundation, this year’s festival explores the theme of ‘Revolution’. In the midst of political and economic turbulence, it aims to confront the impact of "economic barriers and social inequality" on mental health, and looks at various approaches to tackling the issue.

SMHAF's multi-arts programme of 180 events – taking place from Thurso to Hawick – spans music, film, theatre, art, discussion, creative workshops and more. Events have been curated by the festival team and a wide range of local communities, artists and activists, creating a diverse programme that explores ‘revolution’ in insightful and imaginative ways. You can explore the full SMHAF programme and book tickets at mhfestival.com

"The Scottish Mental Health and Arts Festival, has been in existence since 2007," said John. "My wife, Aileen, and I first got involved when we moved to Aberdeen and wondered how come a city as large as that did not seem to be represented.

"Along with people from the bipolar community there, as well as staff from the Robert Gordon Social Science Department, we set about putting on nine separate events, ranging from a film at the Belmont [K-PAX] to music – Blues Jam at the Malt Mill – which still continues after 10 years at Drummonds – and art featuring our own local artist, Shelagh Swanson."

John says that patients from the local psychiatric hospital at Cornhill put on a show and there was entertainment from comedians as well as an evening of poetry with guests from Edinburgh.

In Edinburgh, John and Aileen set up 'Mad Jam' with the assistance of eight people who had been diagnosed with psychiatric conditions ranging from bipolar to schizophrenia. "The Mad Jam came out of SMHAF that year [2016] and has been flourishing ever since, alongside its now international online partner which features storytelling and poetry. SMHAF always had events at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, before it and the Belmont, its partner in Aberdeen, were forced to close. Luckily, it appears that both of these two cinemas are to reopen shortly."

Much of the organisation of SMHAF is conducted from George Square in Glasgow, where John and Aileen attended a number of planning meetings over the years. It was there that they met Canadian, Rick Warden, who just by chance happened to be involved in the showing of Iboga Nights, a film by filmmaker and journalist David Graham Scott who is from Caithness. Rick later invited the couple to review a Portuguese film about mental illness called Suddenly My Thoughts Halt which screened at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh.

Another foreign language film screening at the Filmhouse was Utopia, which included the couple as extras. "As well as footage recorded in Afghanistan, Iran and India, there were a couple of sequences filmed in Aberdeen. Although it didn’t win, it was entered for the Oscars. This opportunity arose after a friendship that we struck up with a drummer from the band No Hot Ashes who had played at the Malt Mill in Aberdeen."

Now living back in Caithness, the couple wanted to help organise a few events for this year’s SHHAF which runs over October 4-21. "We first approached the Society of Caithness Artists [SCA] about mounting an exhibition linking art and mental health. It is often claimed that all art is a revolutionary act. Richard Wagner, the famous composer of music, is credited with saying this back in 1849."

SCA decided to adapt the SMHAF theme of revolution to 'Change'. "Some artists have been very honest in their openness and willingness to share their own experiences of life and how art has helped their well-being."

The two other Thurso events take place on October 7 and 14. The first of these is at E’ Shed and runs from 7pm till 11pm. The later event, You say you want a Revolution, is part of Love Live Music and is scheduled to take place at the Royal British Legion in Thurso.

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