Issue 82 / October 2017

SAY
THE FINAL
Photo by Jazamin Sinclair
Liverpool Mental Health
Festival returns with a
programme of events promoting
awareness of mental health and
wellbeing, encouraging people
to enjoy the festival’s myriad
activities on their own terms.
“It’s ironic that,
whilst we’re all being
encouraged to speak out
and seek support, the
people who are most at
risk are the first to have
their services cut and
their support withdrawn”
World Mental Health Day (10th October) will be
celebrated in more than 100 countries this year,
jointly promoted by the United Nations and
World Health Organisation, while, on the ground,
local organisations from across all sectors and a wide range
of backgrounds are working together to raise awareness and
challenge stigmas around mental health, and, ultimately, promote
wellbeing.
And for our city that means LIVERPOOL MENTAL HEALTH
FESTIVAL will return with an array of events that Claire Stevens
– Festival Co-Ordinator and Development Manager for Liverpool
Mental Health Consortium (LMHC) – promises will be bigger,
better and more inclusive than ever before. Having teamed up
with a wide range of partners, including The Comedy Trust, We
Make Places and Unity Theatre, LMHC have created their most
exciting and diverse programme to date.
The only one of its kind in the UK, Liverpool Mental Health
Festival is now an established event in Liverpool’s cultural
calendar, offering two weeks of events and activities – almost
all of which are free – tailored to promote awareness of mental
health and to meet the needs of those suffering with conditions.
The Consortium have run events to promote good mental health
and break down the stigma around mental distress to coincide
with World Mental Health Day for the past eight years, giving a
voice to people who experience mental distress and providing
local organisations with a platform to promote their services.
Locally, the statistics around poor mental health are
disconcerting. “In Liverpool, one in three appointments with
GPs are about things such as depression, anxiety, stress, panic
and other mental health problems,” Claire explains. “In fact,
86,000 people in Liverpool experience mental distress of some
kind in their lives. However, an estimated 56,000 of these are
not currently in touch with support services, and the impact
of austerity means there is a double threat to the city’s mental
health posed both by cuts to voluntary sector support services
and changes to the benefits system.”
The link between austerity, inequality and mental health
is clear too. “Mental health has never had a higher profile – it’s
great that everyone from the government and the royal family
to musicians, sports people and the media are aware of how our
emotional wellbeing is affected by all aspects of our lives and
how it, in turn, has an impact on everything we do. But it’s ironic
that, whilst we’re all being encouraged to speak out and seek
support, the people who are most at risk are the first to have their
services cut and their support withdrawn.”
It’s clear speaking to Claire that our city has much to gain
from peeling back the stigma around mental distress so that we
can feel more confident about talking to someone when we’re not
feeling at all like ourselves.
“Liverpool Mental Health Consortium and our partners
believe that prevention is not only better than ‘cure’ but that
it’s cheaper. Not only does it make economic sense to prevent
people reaching crisis point, but by encouraging individual and
community resilience we can help ourselves, our friends, our
families and communities to feel better about ourselves and
our capabilities, more engaged in the life of our community,
less isolated and more valued. We know that opportunities to
be creative, to have our voices heard, to meet new people in a
supportive and safe environment, to access useful information
and to enjoy ourselves can have a massive impact on our mood.”
It’s often that the acknowledgement that something is not
quite right is the most difficult thing to open up about, but LMHF
seeks to remove the stigmas and barriers that can make talking
about mental health so difficult. “The festival aims to break down
barriers by providing a platform for people to get together, to talk,
be creative, learn something new and, most importantly, have
some fun!”
The festival has been making links with the local music scene
for some time now, not least last year when Bill Ryder-Jones was
announced as a festival patron. Speaking ahead of this year’s
event, Bill articulates that “It’s a pleasure to be involved with
Liverpool Mental Health Festival again. Times aren’t getting easier
and sometimes it can be hard to find motivation and support. The
Festival provides great opportunities to access information, have
a good time and be open about our mental health, in a supportive
atmosphere.”
Kicking off with a comedy night on Sunday 1st October,
this year’s festival programme includes a specially curated
Art Exhibition at The Brink, a film night at FACT, Drama
In Development, the Lunatic Fringe Poetry Slam, creative
workshops, open mic nights, dog-walking, singing, a football
tournament, events tailored specifically for Black, Asian, Minority
Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) communities and the LGBTQ+
community, and lots of activities for young people.
The main public event on Williamson Square on Saturday 7th
October will be packed with local acoustic acts and a wide range
of performance artists, including Bollywood dancing, before the
festival ends on Saturday 14th October with what’s sure to be
a spectacular finale at Blackburne House, full of “food, fire and
fabulously frenetic drumming.”
This year also sees a new festival patron come on board, this
time from the world of stand-up. Danish comedian Sofie Hagen,
whose gigs are often tailored specifically to those who suffer
with anxiety, is passionate about breaking down the taboos
surrounding mental health and allowing people to participate on
their own terms.
“We all have stuff going on – and that’s OK,” she says.
“There are very good reasons for it. But the important thing is to
talk about it, to share our stories and to connect with others in
whatever ways are easiest for us. For a socially anxious person
like me, it’s far easier to stand on stage and talk about the things
that I want to communicate than it is to chat in a one-to-one
situation. And we all need to find what works for us. That’s why
this festival has something for everyone. Comedy, art, film, dance,
drama, information, advice, training – opportunities to participate
actively and opportunities to come along and watch quietly.” !
Liverpool Mental Health Festival takes place at venues across the
city from 1st-14th October. Visit liverpoolmentalhealth.org for
more details.
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