Other Events

London Voluntary Service Council has organised a one day training event ‘How London Works: the Children and Young People's Sector'. Looking at issues including the work of regional agencies and London Councils' future commissioning priorities, the day will also include a consultation on the London Children's Manifesto. The event will take place in Islington on 4^th November and places are free but must be booked, w: http://www.lvsc.org.uk/

Southwark Arts Forum has come together with Silver, Southwark's festival for older people, to organise the Seniors Creative Network event ‘Funding for the Arts and Older Learners'. Taking place in the Crypt at St Peter's, Liverpool Grove, London on Wednesday 4^th November the event will look at potential sources of funding for arts and older people's projects, how to make successful funding applications and the benefits of partnership working. Speakers will include Catherine Morgan, Events Development Officer at Southwark Council, David Cutler, Director of the Baring Foundation, Wendy Smithers, Director at The Hub and Jon Morgan, Community Development Officer at Southwark Pensioners Centre.

The Reading Cure is a conference that will showcase the innovative Get Into Reading and Feel Better With A Book programmes currently taking place in Essex. Developed by The Reader Organisation and funded by NHS South West Essex the programmes have been applauded by Professor Louis Appleby, NHS Director for Mental Health as "exactly the kind of work that we at the Department of Health want to develop over the next ten years". The Reading Cure takes place at Essex Record Office in Chelmsford on 1^st October.

For further information and to book a place contact Shelley.bennett@essex.gov.uk .

The third annual Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival will take place from 1st-22nd October offering nearly 200 affordable events ranging from dance performances to film screenings to transform social attitudes towards mental health through the arts. Taking place across Scotland in over 100 venues including, among others, miners clubs, cafes and hospitals. This year’s Festival will focus on relationships and mental health, exploring gender and sexuality, language, bereavement, personal and public lives and under-represented communities.

For further information, visit www.mhfestival.com

Get Moving and Dance is a day of free dance workshops, including Bollywood, Bellydancing and Capoiera, in London’s Regent’s Park to mark World Mental Health Day on 10th October. The event takes places from 1-4pm and is part of both Time to Change, England’s largest ever anti-stigma campaign, and Get Moving, a week of physical activity events to challenge mental health stigma and promote the link between exercise and mental wellbeing (3rd-11th October).

Taking place in Leicester on 13th October, Breakthrough’s Moving Forward event is aiming to bring together key people working in art in mental health to explore the possibility of a national strategy to promote joint working and share positive practice. Fees for the event range from £45 to £165.

For further information, contact e: breakthrough@mentalhealth.freeserve.co.uk

The National Writers’ Centre in Wales is holding a residential Writing in Health and Wellbeing course from 16th to 21st November. The course will introduce the theory and practice of using the literary arts as an integral part of healthcare and wellbeing and will be of interest to, among others, writers, medical professionals and teachers. The course costs £495, some bursaries are available.

To celebrate World Mental Health Day on 10th October, patients and staff from Bethlem Royal Hospital have created an art installation, Totally Totems, in the Bethlem Gallery. Open 8th – 30th October the exhibition explores the theme of totem poles using a variety of materials.

For further information, visit: www.bethlemgallery.com

CoolTan Arts are celebrating World Mental Health Day with both a sponsored walk on 10 October, and the exhibition Altered States at the Dulwich Picture Gallery from 3rd to 9th October. The exhibition includes paintings, drawings, and screen prints made by artists experiencing mental distress and explores the theme of altered states, while the sponsored walk will raise money to further the work of CoolTan to inspire the wellbeing and creative participation of a diverse range of people through the production of quality arts.

Australia’s international conference on health and creativity, The Art of Good Health and Wellbeing, will take place from 7th-13th November. Over 70 speakers from Australia and overseas will discuss, inform, debate, network and share expertise in the important field of arts and health.