Our Life through a lens segment was featured in the press last week.
Life through a lens: A Snapshot of Mental Health
Young people of Perth and Kinross are being invited to capture their life through a lens as part of a festival exhibition shining a light on mental health and wellbeing.
Unveiling plans for this year’s Perth and Kinross Mental Health and Wellbeing Festival, organisers are appealing to local youngsters to submit an image that sums up their lockdown experience, their current mental health or what they do to feel better.
The free festival, which will take place at Perth Concert Hall on 5 and 6 August 2022, follows its online debut last year. Working alongside over various local partners, local charity Trauma Healing Together is creating a packed programme of talks, activities and workshops aimed at removing the stigma of mental health and encouraging wellbeing. The event will also signpost a range of local support organisations and will be recorded for remote audiences.
As the event approaches, the festival team is inviting young people living within Perth and Kinross to submit a photo of their choice via WhatsApp, preferably with a brief caption and, if desired, their name, age and location. The images will form a collage or exhibition at the festival, portraying a snapshot of young people’s mental health in Perth and Kinross in 2022.
Roxanne Kerr, who launched Trauma Healing Together in 2020 and established the first festival in 2021 commented, “The last couple of years have been unbelievably challenging for all corners of society, from young children and teenagers through to the elderly. For those already struggling, life became extremely difficult and, for some, impossible. However, it’s also been a period where community has never been more important. People came together in ways they never thought possible and we saw kindness on a whole new level, yet many people are still struggling.
“Whoever you are and wherever you are, you have mental health in the same way as physical
health. Both will change as life evolves yet there’s still a stigma around mental health, despite one in four people being affected by mental health problems in Scotland each year. Our festival aims to break down the barriers, encourage people to see they’re not alone and highlight the support available. Everyone is unique in the support they require so we’re working closely with a range of partners and service users to create a really inclusive and accessible programme aimed at informing, engaging and entertaining everyone who comes along.”
Perth and Kinross Mental Health and Wellbeing Festival is organised in conjunction with Mindspace, Linda’s Ladies, Workplace Chaplaincy Scotland, Stephen Lyon Organisation, PKAVs, Vitality Me and Plus Perth.
The event is made possible by support from the Community Investment Fund of Perth and Kinross Council and Scottish Government Community Mental Health funding.