Borders Programme Revealed for Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival

We are excited to reveal the Borders Event Programme that's taking place next month as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival.

For the first time ever the festival brochure features a double page spread dedicated to Borders events which are being put on by different organisations and groups. There is something for everyone from writing and craft workshops to theatre shows and live music sessions. The full festival programme and event details are available online.

This year's festival theme is 'connected', highlighting that connecting with others is a good way to improve your mental health and wellbeing.

With a third of Borderers having experienced feelings of loneliness or isolation, according to the respondents of the Scottish Borders Household Survey 2018, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival is a great opportunity to connect with others through this varied programme of events.

If you enjoy singing, or are part of a choir, we would especially encourage you to join in the Song Wave event on Friday 17 May when we will create a 'wave of song' connecting people across the Borders with organised and pop-up performances posted on social media using the hashtag #SongWave.

This event will see a new song - inspired by the band Frightened Rabbit's song 'The Loneliness and the Scream' - created in tribute to Scott Hutchison, local singer, musician and front man of this well-loved Selkirk band, who died in May last year.

The song, which recognises the importance of connecting with the people around you, was curated by local singing leader Clare Watson. Any groups, choirs, schools or individuals interested in learning and performing in the song wave should register their interest by emailing health.improvement@borders.scot.nhs.uk or visiting the Sound Cycle website.

NHS Borders and the Health and Social Care Partnership have also been working closely with Live Borders to increase the creative writing for wellbeing opportunities in libraries and are pleased to support the forthcoming publication of a special edition of the Eildon Tree creative writing magazine themed around being connected for mental health. This builds on the work that was started by the Local Area Co-ordination Team for Mental Health to establish a creative writing group in Eyemouth.

Robert McCulloch-Graham, Chief Officer Health & Social Care, said: "The group has published its own anthology of creative writing and gone on to have four winning entries in the Eildon Tree magazine. Writing for wellbeing has had really positive benefits for the mental health of all who have been involved in the group – both for clients of the Local Area Co-Ordination service and members of the community who participate."

Allyson McCollam, Associate Director of Public Health, added "I am delighted that we have some opportunities for people in the Borders to be involved in the Scottish Arts and Mental Health Festival this year. There is increasing recognition of social isolation and loneliness as major public health issues and research has also shown the beneficial impact that the arts and creativity can have on mental health and wellbeing.

"The festival theme of being connected gives us an opportunity to put those things together and I'd like to encourage people of all ages to get involved, either with the singing project, the creative writing workshops or by connecting with other people to do something creative in their own community."