In 2026, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival celebrates its 20th year!
In 2026, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival celebrates its 20th Year. Taking place from 19 October to 8 November, it’s an opportunity to recognise two decades of mental health and creativity while looking at where we are now and where we might go next.
Our theme for this milestone year, Reflections, invites artists, communities and audiences across Scotland to pause, take stock and explore how our experiences, stories and creativity shape our mental health, individually and collectively.
GET INVOLVED!
SMHAF takes place across Scotland and covers all artforms, reaching around 17,500 people each year. It spotlights art inspired by mental health, explores how the arts and creativity can help everyone to have better mental health, and provides a platform for everyone to be creative.
We’re inviting you – organisations, artists, communities and individuals – to help us bring our Reflections theme to life, and explore how looking back can help us imagine what comes next.
Whether you’re working on a creative project, have an idea for an event, would like to help develop your local programme, or want to talk about anything else, please get in touch at smhaf@mentalhealth.org.uk.
SMHAF is led by the Mental Health Foundation and is supported by Multi-Year Funding from @creativescots and national partners.
Find out more: https://bit.ly/4rz63we