Fire and drumming closes out Liverpool Mental Health Festival 2017 in style
Liverpool Mental Health Festival 2017 concluded on Saturday with a breath-taking finale featuring fire-dancers Bring the Fire Project and drumming sensations Katumba.
The festival, which ran from 1st – 14th Oct, promoted the importance of reducing stigma and of talking more openly about our mental health. Festival events featured music, dance, comedy, drama, visual arts, poetry, film, information, advice, training workshops and more, taking over cinemas, museums, libraries, football grounds and public city centre spaces. The free events and activities, advertised in a handy pocket guide which also included a directory of mental health support organisations, attracted 1000s of people across the fortnight.
Claire Stevens, Development Manager with festival co-ordinators Liverpool Mental Health Consortium, said: “It was a fantastic 2 weeks! We really went to town when we put together this year’s festival programme, involving more organisations, artists and performers than ever before. We got an incredible amount of feedback and so many people told us during the events how much the festival means to them that we’re slightly overwhelmed with the success of it all. We really hope that the festival’s messages of openness and support will remain present, even if we’re not around anymore”.
Liverpool Mental Health Consortium, having provided an independent platform for over 20 years for the voices of mental health service users and others experiencing mental distress, as well as for organisations providing mental health services, , is facing closure at the end of this year due to severe cuts to the organisation’s funding.
Even though the festival is over, you can still get involved! In partnership with Liverpool Mental Health Consortium, Katumba are running free drumming for wellbeing classes. Starting this Thursday 19th October 6 – 7.30pm at John Archer Hall, the project, called ‘Beat It!’, will provide a supportive, anxiety-free environment to learn a new skill with a group of like-minded people. No registration needed, just turn up!
For more information please visit www.katumba.co.uk or call 07794 743936.