{"id":1322,"date":"2016-05-11T16:22:24","date_gmt":"2016-05-11T15:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qpol.qub.ac.uk\/?p=1322"},"modified":"2016-05-11T16:22:24","modified_gmt":"2016-05-11T15:22:24","slug":"ni-mental-health-festival-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/qpol\/ni-mental-health-festival-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health wellbeing and the role of the arts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Third Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts and Film Festival is underway and will run until 22 May with a wide range of events, many at Queen\u2019s, but also in venues across Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the Festival is to contribute to a more positive approach to mental health. The Bamford Review<\/a>, which continues to inform policy in Northern Ireland, recognised and highlighted the negative impact of uninformed and negative attitudes about mental health problems. In March 2016, the Health Minister, Simon Hamilton, launched Northern Ireland\u2019s new mental health anti-stigma and anti-discrimination campaign – the \u201cChange Your Mind<\/a>\u201d campaign – supported by Comic Relief<\/a>, the Public Health Agency<\/a> (PHA) and NIAMH<\/a> (the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also builds on the PHA\u2019s campaigns to reduce barriers and encourage help-seeking behaviours, and Comic Relief’s commitment to supporting mental wellbeing and breaking down the associated stigma and discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tackling stigma one conversation at a time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Festival hopes to support this approach and this year\u2019s theme is \u2018Tackling stigma one conversation at a time.\u2019 <\/em><\/strong>The Festival is also working closely with the student-led Mind Your Mood<\/a> mental health campaign at Queen\u2019s which is offering free mental health awareness workshops to students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launching the Festival, Director Jane Reynolds said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe Festival received more than 100 submissions from artists and community groups from across Northern Ireland and from these submissions we have created a very exciting programme. A highlight of the Festival is the unique opportunity to see people coping with mental health from varied backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other highlights include a travelling showcase of short films; Colour of Poetry exhibition and Tanka poetry reading in Coleraine; films written and produced by mental health service users facilitated by the Educational Shakespeare Company; a Poetry Therapy workshop and Unseen Stitches: Understanding Maternal Mental Health through Textiles<\/em>, a curated exhibition<\/em>. The line-up for this year\u2019s festival has something for everyone to enjoy. Hosting such a fun-filled and enjoyable festival is a great way of challenging the many issues associated with mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The more specific objectives of the Festival are to challenge stigma and mental health inequalities; make connections between public, arts and community organisations; reach those who are often missed by both the arts and health education models; support recovery and wellbeing and reduce self-stigma through participation in the creative process by those who have experienced mental health issues; create enduring partnerships and year-round arts education resources and projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mental Health and the Arts – what the research is saying<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a growing evidence base, supported by research at Queen\u2019s University, which is reinforcing the importance of the arts in mental health and wellbeing throughout the lifecourse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n