Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2023 (SMAHF) this year will take place from 4- 22 October with the theme ‘Revolution’.
| Canalside Stories To celebrate Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, FCCT is running a mini-series of workshops, walks and boat trips that will allow people to creatively explore and experience the value and role of green and blue spaces in looking after and improving mental health. Inspired by the theme of ‘Revolution’, Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust will work with creative practitioners to bring you reflective events that consider different aspects of this theme. These events will allow you to immerse yourself in stories that link to the local canalside environment and to your own story. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE BUT BOOKING IS ADVISABLE IN ALL CASES, AND ESSENTIAL IN SOME. Click the titles of the sessions to go through to the booking page for each event. Canalside Stories: Wellbeing ‘Sketching’ Walk This led wellbeing walk will allow you to explore the theme whilst walking and moving through the canalside environment. Join us for a leisurely stroll and sketching along the canal. In this session we will learn some basic sketching techniques for drawing buildings and botanics. We will use ink pens as well as watercolour brush pens. All materials are provided. No previous experience needed. Suitable for adults only. The walk will last approximately 1 hour and it is optional to stay afterwards for refreshments. Date: Thursday 5th October 2023 Time: 10-11am Place: Meet promptly at 10am at the End of the Canal, Fountainbridge Square, Edinburgh EH3 9QB Canalside Stories: ‘Water Tales’ Canal Boat Cruise (11am) Canalside Stories: ‘Water Tales’ Canal Boat Cruise (1pm) Our canal boat cruises are on our wide-beam barge, the Lochrin Belle, and will last approximately 1 hour. This canal boat cruise will allow you to explore the theme whilst moving on the water through the canal environment. Together we will create a fictional tale using the canal surroundings, the element of water, and personal life experiences as inspiration. Participants are welcome to contribute with ideas or simply listen and observe the creative process come to life. We can accommodate those with reduced mobility with our platform lift, but it is not suitable for all wheelchairs – please contact us in the first instance. There is a toilet on board. Suitable for adults only. Date: Monday 9th October 2023 Time: 11am-12pm OR 1pm-2pm Place: The boat leaves from and returns to the Leamington Liftbridge, at the top of Gilmore Park or Leamington Road near EH3 9NY Please meet promptly – the boat will not wait. Free but booking essential as there is limited capacity on the boat. Canalside Stories: Seeding Stories of Change What we might learn from plants and their seeds as we transition from summer into autumn and winter? What alternative stories do they inspire? What lessons do they share about cycles of rest and re-emergence, resilience and community wellbeing? Hannah from the Edinburgh Seed Network will lead this 2 hour activity starting with gathering seeds and stories along the canal side at Fountainbridge Green. We will spend time both inside and outside learning about the arts of noticing, the power of the stories we tell and live by and how to save and sow seeds from the local plants we encounter. Suitable for adults only. Date: Wednesday 11th October 2023 Time: 11am-1pm Place: Bainfield Napier University Student Common Room, 6 Bainfield Drive, Edinburgh EH11 1AR. Entrance is at the north east corner of the building, furthest from the canal on the side adjacent to Boroughmuir High School. Canalside Stories: Wellbeing ‘Water Tales’ Walk This led wellbeing walk will allow you to explore the theme whilst walking and moving through the canalside environment. During our walk we will create a fictional tale using the canal surroundings, the element of water, and personal life experiences as inspiration. Participants are welcome to contribute with ideas or simply listen and observe the creative process come to life. Suitable for adults only. The walk will last approximately 1 hour and it is optional to stay afterwards for refreshments. Date: Thursday 12th October 2023 Time: 10-11am Place: Meet promptly at 10am at the End of the Canal, Fountainbridge Square, Edinburgh EH3 9QB Canalside Stories: Storytelling Family Boat Ride (10am) Canalside Stories: Storytelling Family Boat Ride (11.30am) As we enjoy a journey along the Union Canal we will invite you to imagine stories inspired by your surroundings. In your family groups or with some new friends you can have fun inventing tales about the canal with the guidance of 2 professional storytellers, Alice Fernbank and Svend-Erik Engh. Suitable for families with children over the age of 5. We can accommodate those with reduced mobility with our platform lift, but it is not suitable for all wheelchairs – please contact us in the first instance. There is a toilet on board. Date: Thursday 19th October 2023 Time: 10-11am OR 11.30am -12.30pm Place: The boat leaves from and returns to the Leamington Liftbridge, at the top of Gilmore Park or Leamington Road near EH3 9NY Please meet promptly – the boat will not wait. Free but booking essential as there is limited capacity on the boat. These events are being brought to you by Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival 2023 funded by Edinburgh Thrive (EHSCP). |