Deadline: 28 June 2024
The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) is inviting individual artists and creative organisations to submit proposals for dynamic, thought-provoking live events that can take place as part of the In/Visible showcase event.
SMHAF is an annual programme to support the arts, explore how engagement in the arts can help prevent mental ill health and challenge preconceived ideas about mental health. Led by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) with support from partner organisations across Scotland, SMHAF is the biggest festival of its kind in the world, and its ground-breaking model, combining high artistic quality with strong grassroots support, community engagement and social activism, has been imitated across Europe.
This two day showcase event will take place on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 October at the CCA in Glasgow. It will consist of live performances, film screenings, creative workshops, discussions and more, exploring the 2024 festival theme of ‘In/Visible’.
Theme
- Their 2024 theme, In/Visible, chosen in consultation with regional coordinators across Scotland, and will consider what it means to be ‘visible’ or ‘invisible’ when one think about the mental health:
- Which aspects of the mental health do one keep hidden and which do one feel able to share?
- Who is made to feel unseen and unheard
- What do experiences of exclusion and discrimination have on the mental health?
- How can one challenge the inequalities and systems of power that render people ‘invisible’?
- How can one use the arts and creativity to make mental health more ‘visible’, in a way that engages people and challenges stigma?
What you will get?
- Each proposal selected will be given a budget of £1,000 to cover fees and materials costs. This figure does not include venue costs, standard technical support, marketing and access support, all of which will be covered by SMHAF.
Location
- There is no set length or format for an event. However it must be possible to host it in the CCA Theatre, Cinema or Clubroom on 25 or 26 October.
Eligible Projects
- With the two-day showcase event at the CCA, they want to explore their In/Visible theme in an exciting, innovative, and accessible way, appealing to a wide audience.
- The three event proposals they select will:
- Respond to the festival theme in an imaginative way
- Be innovative in their approach to engaging with live audiences
- Challenge established ways of thinking, or have insightful and original things to say, about mental health.
Who can apply?
- You can apply as an individual or as a group/organisation, but all freelance contributors must be paid according to recognised industry rates.
For more information, visit SMHAF.
