What does art and mental health mean for the North East?
Art and Mental Health Framework: Engagement Event
Friday 25 September 2026
10:00-15:00
Citymoves, The Anatomy Rooms, All In Ideas SCIO, Arkade Studios, Shoe Lane, Aberdeen AB10 1AL
Background: Arts and Mental Health Framework
Creative Scotland is co-developing an Arts and Mental Health Framework, supported by The Baring Foundation and Creative Scotland National Lottery funding.
This framework will highlight the existing activity of those who work at the intersection of arts and mental health, enabling us to find a shared vision and understand our direction.
Find out more about the aims and values of the project on our Arts and Mental Health Framework webpage.
We have been developing the engagement programme for the framework with Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland, The Mental Health Foundation - Scottish Arts and Mental Health Festival, and We Are Here Scotland. Our programme includes a survey, and online and in-person events.
The Event
Who should attend?
People in the North East of Scotland who are:
- Artists or representatives of arts or community organisations, creating work about mental health, or delivering mental health programmes in community and health settings
- Individuals with lived experience of mental health, creating or connecting with the arts for wellbeing
- Health professionals or representatives of mental health services delivering a clinical arts service, using art within your health provision, or socially prescribing arts or creative community services
You could also be part of an advocacy organisation, a policy maker, an academic, or a funder, with an interest in this type of work.
Overview of the session
This engagement session, led by Rachael Arnold and Ica Headlam, offers you the opportunity to hear more about two projects - the development of an arts and mental health framework, and Creative Balance.
We want you to contribute your experiences and help shape a Scottish arts and mental health framework that reflects the needs of the North East. During the session you will meet arts and health colleagues from across the North East, and participate in a physical wellbeing activity.
By collaborating, we can co-author and create something that strengthens and benefits everyone who works in this sector, captures your needs and ambitions, shows what we deliver together as a sector and supports our shared visions.
Who will be involved? How will it be delivered?
Rachael Arnold and Ica Headlam will deliver the session.
- Creative Scotland will share more details about the development of the Framework and how to get involved.
- Ica Headlam from We Are Here Scotland will share findings from Phase One of Creative Balance, a research strand developed by We Are Here Scotland that explores and centres the wellbeing and experiences of racialised communities working across Scotland’s creative industries.
- Participants will join discussions with Ica and Rachael to voice the specific needs of the North East
- The Citymoves team will guide you through a physical activity designed for wellbeing
- A catered lunch will provide time to network and meet colleagues from across the North East
Discussion raised during the session will be amalgamated into the arts and mental health framework development.
Follow progress and discover other opportunities to get involved: Arts and Mental Health Framework webpage.
Please fill out the form below to register for the session.
Access: If there are any ways we can support your attendance and participation at the event, please let us know when registering.
If you have any questions about the event, please contact Bella Geldart, Events & Engagement, Creative Scotland
If you would like to be added to our stakeholder database, please get in touch with artsandhealth@creativescotland.com to note your interest in this area of work. You will receive updates about arts and mental health engagements and the development of the framework, and other arts and health developments from Creative Scotland.
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