Celebrating mental health on Williamson Square this Saturday
The inaugural Liverpool Mental Health Festival kicked-off on Saturday 1st October and is now fully up and running, having already hosted a raft of activities such as free training, a Film Night at FACT and a joint comedy night with the Liverpool Comedy Festival at Comedy Central.
The festival includes over 40 free events throughout the city from 1st – 16th October and offers music, dance, art, comedy, film, creative writing, roadshows, training, workshops, advice, information and support and much more.
Williamson Square will be the focus for an all-day hub of fun activities on Saturday 8th October. Starting at 10.00am with drumming, the programme of events on- and offstage will have something on offer for everyone. Together with festival partner Threshold, the organisers will put on an amazing show of local talent ranging from performances by Youth Theatre 20 Stories High via festival mainstay Movema to this year’s headliner Merki Waters thanks to a partnership with Africa Oye.
Information stalls will include Healthwatch, new festival partner Help Musicians UK and Mersey Care’s “Big Brew” which will be giving away free cups of tea. The Lord Mayor, Roz Gladden, will be in attendance and the day will culminate with an inspirational performance by festival choir ‘Mad for It’.
The aims of the festival are to raise awareness of the importance of looking after our mental wellbeing and to challenge stigma. Organisers are delighted that Bill Ryder-Jones, co-founder of The Coral and renowned song writer/solo musician has become a festival Patron.
Bill will announce the winner of the ‘Mental Health & Me’ writing competition ‘Faces, Places, Spaces’ on World Mental Health Day (Mon 10th October). Moreover, internationally acclaimed artists The Singh Twins are endorsing the festival art exhibition with the theme “Respect”.
Festival organisers Liverpool Mental Health Consortium are working with mental health service users and partners from the statutory and voluntary sectors – including those working in mental health, public health, social care, housing, advice, education and the arts – to make Liverpool’s first ever Mental Health Festival a fantastic experience for the city.
Claire Stevens, Development Manager at Liverpool Mental Health Consortium, said: “This year, we’ve really pushed the boat out with even more free events and activities for an even wider audience and we hope that everyone will give their mental health a boost by coming along, having fun and picking up some useful information or advice.”
The full Liverpool Mental Health Festival 2016 programme is available here: http://www.liverpoolmentalhealth.org/festival/