Bearsden Festival kicks off this evening (Friday 10 May) with a sell-out grand opening night at Bearsden Academy - due to be attended by 250 people and featuring music, art and food, as well as a preview of the dazzling days to come.
TV personality Hardeep Singh Kohli will be compering the evening, with Community Award winners in four categories receiving a hand-crafted glass trophy designed by local glass artist Elizabeth Lloyd Kelly, together with a generous voucher from The Burnbrae restaurant.
Bearsden Academy Samba Band and Sounds of the Gallery Band, which started with the help of East Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Local Area Co-ordinators service, will provide the entertainment.
Now running to some 40 events, the festival aims to offer something for every age and stage in life - taking place between Friday 10 May and Sunday 19 May.
Trish Robertson, Festival Coordinator, commented, "We set out to bring the subject of mental health out in the open, to see different perspectives, talk to each other and learn a bit more about what’s going on in the community.
"We have been blown away by the interest, both while we were planning this and in terms of tickets taken.
"We’re running a waiting list for 10 events and have had to change settings and put on extra sessions to try to meet demand.
"This says a lot for the importance of mental health to people and the value of bringing everyone together to connect with each other."
Local schools have been getting in on the act, with Mosshead, Killermont, Castlehill and Bearsden primaries providing artwork exploring mental health and wellbeing, as well as poetry about kindness. Look out for the colourful creations popping up in shop windows and halls around town over the next fortnight.
East Dunbartonshire Council is supporting the festival, with a number of services involved, as well as East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture (EDLC) Trust and the Community Health & Care Partnership.
The Council has agreed that pay & display parking charges will be suspended on Saturdays 11 and 18 May at the Roman Road car park to support the festival.
Councillor Andrew Polson, Joint Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, said, "Bearsden Festival is now underway - offering a wealth of events celebrating the positive impact of arts on mental health and wellbeing. I am particularly pleased that we have been able to suspend parking charges in the Roman Road pay & display car park, near Bearsden Cross, on Saturdays 11 and 18 May to help support the festival. I would encourage as many people as possible to enjoy the festivities."
Councillor Vaughan Moody, Joint Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, added, "I am sure Bearsden Festival will be a wonderful success - helping to inform, inspire and empower people of all ages. Organisers have worked with a range of partners, including Council services, EDLC and the Community Health & Care Partnership, to offer a huge variety of cultural events - raising awareness of mental health and the need to tackle social isolation. Well done to all and best wishes."
All the event information can be found at bearsdenfestival.org
Everything is free except for one event - the big Fundraising Dinner will take place on 17 May, with chef and comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli in the kitchen and on stage to raise funds for East Dunbartonshire Association for Mental Health. There are a few tickets left. See the website for booking information.
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* Bearsden Academy Head Teacher George Cooper and the Wellbeing Ambassadors are pictured with the programme.