Representative illustration for mental health.
Credit: iStock Photo
A two-day mental health festival will be held this weekend. The event, titled Mannotsava, will focus on the different aspects of mental health and their impact on one’s life. It is organised by National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in partnership with Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies (RNP).
“There is a lot of information online on mental health, but we wanted to create a credible space with expert opinions, not just for mental health as an illness but also for wellbeing. We have a large community of people working in mental health and we wanted a platform for these professionals to come together,” says Natasha Joshi of RNP.
The event will feature panel discussions, art installations, film screenings and theatre performances that will focus on topics such as understanding ADHD and anxiety, demystifying addiction, parenting children through adolescence, healthy ageing, women’s mental health, unpacking climate grief, and the role of art, music, poetry, and cinema on the mind. The keynote will see Rohini Nilekani, chairperson, RNP, and former cricketer Rahul Dravid in conversation with Nikhil Taneja, co-founder of We Are Yuva.
Some of the interesting sessions include ‘Suicide: Role of lived experience in changing the narrative’, ‘Laugh, heal, repeat: The art of medical clowning’, ‘What does the caregiver need? Perspectives from lived experience’, and ‘Mental health and the margins: Queerness and systemic realities’.
October 26-27, 10 am, at NIMHANS Convention Centre, Hosur Road. Entry free. For details, visit nationalmentalhealthfestival. com