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
Dust 2017: performance by Paula McGuire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:56
Paula McGuire, 'the world's least likely adventurer', shares her experiences at arts and mental health symposium The Dust of Everyday Life, CCA, Glasgow, 20 April 2017. For more information about Paula visit www.paulamus…
Dust 2017: Performance by Skye Loneragan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:38
Theatre-maker Skye Loneragan performs an extract from her new show Though This Be Madness at The Dust of Everyday Life, CCA, Glasgow, 20 April 2017. www.skyeloneragan.com
Dust 2017: Hip Hop Psych [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:30
Founded by psychiatrist Dr Akeem Sule and neuroscientist Dr Becky Inkster, Hip Hop Psych describes itself as ‘the interface that links hip-hop music and culture with mental health’, using its founders’ medical credibilit…
Dust 2017: Chill out corner chat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:09
How do we make arts events more accessible to people living with social anxiety? Emma Jayne Park, associate artist for the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, Mental Health Foundation arts lead Andrew Eaton-Le…
Dust 2017: Building a social movement in the arts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:12
Can the arts and social justice campaigning happily co-exist? Jenny Edwards, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, discusses the issue with filmmaker Fran Higson, Halina Rifai of feminist collective TYCI, and…
Dust 2017: Art in a time of anxiety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:48
What does it mean to be mentally healthy in the midst of so much anxiety-inducing political and cultural turmoil? And what can artists do to help? Kevin Williamson of Neu! Reekie!, Linda Irvine of NHS Lothian, playwright…
Dust 2017: Living well and dying well [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:38
Is it possible to adopt a more mentally healthy attitude towards our own deaths, and the deaths of those we love? Andrew Eaton-Lewis puts the question to Angie Dight of Mischief La Bas, creator of Festival of Ian Smith:…
Dust 2017: A conversation with trigger warnings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:52
Often misunderstood and misrepresented, trigger warnings can be vital for people who have experienced trauma. But is it actually possible to predict what will trigger someone when organising an arts event? Mental Health…