Sit Still

Sit Still

Author: Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival October 26, 2024 Duration: 2:52
Sit Still is a choral composition for four voices that delves into society's assumption that stillness comes naturally. It challenges the notion that movement—such as fidgeting or wriggling—is a sign of disengagement, immaturity, or misbehavior. The work draws on the artist’s reflections on her own self-criticism for struggling to achieve stillness, especially in moments when it feels most necessary.

The SMHAF Podcast is an audio extension of the year-round arts programme led by the Mental Health Foundation Scotland. It draws its inspiration and content from the annual Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, a major global event that has been enriching Scotland's cultural landscape since 2007. In this podcast, you'll hear from the artists, organizers, and participants who make this diverse festival happen. The conversations explore the creative processes behind the festival's wide-ranging programme, which includes music, film, visual art, theatre, dance, and literature, all connected through the lens of mental health. Episodes might feature a director discussing a new play, a musician explaining how composition relates to wellbeing, or a visual artist sharing the story behind an exhibition. It’s a space to listen in on thoughtful discussions about how artistic expression and mental health dialogue intersect, offering a deeper, more personal look at the festival's impact beyond the event dates. The SMHAF Podcast provides a lasting, intimate connection to the festival's community and ideas, making the powerful work of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival accessible anytime.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

SMHAF Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Interview with Darren McGarvey, aka Loki [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:54
Talking Heads reporter Michael McEwan interviews Darren McGarvey, aka Loki, the Scottish rapper, about his new book Poverty Safari and what it has to say about inequality and mental health. Loki was speaking after a spec…
Paragon Music: Mindfulness Drumming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:29
Talking Heads reporter Michael McEwan spoke to representatives from Paragon Music, who are hosting mindfulness drumming workshops as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival. They discuss how drumming can help wi…
Mental [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:26
Podcast series Talking It Over with Support in Mind Scotland is back for this year's festival. Hosts Nicole Bell and Iain Mitchell present more fun and fascinating conversations inspired by the festival programme and iss…
Looking Closer: Visual art and mental health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:46
"There was a recurring theme of escaping, escaping in some ways the prison that mental illness can become for some people." In Looking Closer, Nicole and Iain from Support in Mind Scotland travel up and down the country…
Looking In: Experiences through the ages [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:25
In Looking In: Experiences Through the Ages, Nicole and Iain discuss two multi-arts events at the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival: Six O'clock in Princes Street and Neu! Reekie! Named after the famous Wilfred Owen p…
You Matter Always: Podcast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:04
You Matter Always brings young people and professionals together to share ideas on how arts and culture can positively impact mental health and wellbeing. Talking Heads reporter Jo Osborne hosts this discussion after a b…
Looking On: An audience with mental health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:06
The focus is firmly on theatre and how the stage acts as a platform for representing mental ill health in this podcast. Nicole Bell and Iain Mitchell of Support in Mind Scotland speak to Andrew Eaton-Lewis, arts lead at…
Dykebar & Me: Challenging stigma through film [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:56
In this Talking Heads podcast, reporter Michael McEwan interviews some of the filmmakers involved in Dykebar & Me, a short film which screened at St Matthew's in Paisley during this year's festival. They discuss the impa…
Making Our Mark: Discussing community arts projects in Renfrewshire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:46
Talking Heads reporter and freelance journalist Michael McEwan interviews some of the people involved in Making Our Mark, an inclusive event at the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, showcasing work from community art…