Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2025

The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival is back with one of its most ambitious programmes yet. Inspired by the 2025 theme Comfort & Disturb — drawn from the quote “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable” — the festival explores the power of art to both challenge and console.

With hundreds of events across Scotland, including film, theatre, music, visual art, writing, and workshops, this year’s festival features exciting new collaborations and community‑led projects from across the country.

Civic House will be hosting the following events at this years festival:

SMHAF × A Kick Up the Arts – Thursday 23 October, 7:00‑9:00pm

BBC broadcaster Nicola Meighan hosts this evening of conversation and music with Emma Pollock, Jo Mango, and Amy Duncan, exploring the intersections between creativity and mental health.

tickets: citizenticket.com

Participatory Arts & Mental Health Symposium – Friday 24 October, 11:00am‑5:00pm

A day‑long gathering for artists and organisations across Scotland, focusing on the challenges and rewards of creating participatory arts projects that work with people with lived experience of long‑term mental health issues. Supported by Creative Scotland and the Baring Foundation.

tickets: citizenticket.com

Discover the full programme and book tickets here.