What's On Scotland 3-10 May: Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival

This year's Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival will explore the theme of ‘Beginnings’, with a focus on young people to coincide with the Scottish Government's Year of Young People initiative.

As well as a range of youth-focused events, the festival will host its biggest theatre programme to date, including a run of the inaugural winner of the Mental Health Fringe Award at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Mental and the premiere of Skye Loneragan’s Though This Be Madness (pictured), described as “a show about new parenthood and mental illness."

There will also be a Beginnings-themed edition of spoken word night Flint & Pitch with acclaimed poet Deanna Rodger, at The Bongo Club on 26 May, and the return of the International Film Competition programme at the CCA. All fitting into the Beginnings theme, just a few of the film highlights include But Honey, You Look Fine, in which a teenage filmmaker documents her best friend’s battle with bulimia, and Rocknrollers, in which three teenage pals try to support the band’s frontman through his depression.

Sub Club x H+P: Daphni & Andrew Thomson
Sub Club, Glasgow. 4 May, 11pm
Daphni, aka Caribou, real name Dan Snaith, is an incredibly accomplished musician and his recent album, Joli Mai is yet another quality example of his production talents. Huntleys + Palmers have momentarily returned from retirement to curate this evening, ending their ten year wait to book Snaith. Image: Sam Huddleston

Glasgow International Festival Closing Party – Optimo & Sofay
Sub Club, Glasgow. 6 May, 11pm
Rounding off GI 2018 in style, legendary duo Optimo (pictured) make a Sunday return at the Subbie, and they're joined by one of Scotland's most exciting breakthrough DJs, Sofay. And because it's a bank holiday weekend, they've only gone and secured a 4am license, so the party never has to end (well, not until 4am anyway). Image: David Moffat

ADVERTISEMENT | STEM at The Helix
The Helix Park, Falkirk, 19 May, 11am
Discover your #lightbulbmoment at STEM at The Helix this May. Explore the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths as The Helix park is transformed into a hub of discovery; filled with interactive workshops, experiments and insights. Don’t miss the chance to help our planet in Operation Earth nor Dr Bunhead’s scientific food fight!

Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival
Various venues, Hawick. 3-7 May, times vary
Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival returns to Hawick in the Scottish Borders this month. Although a modest-sized town over 50 miles from the nearest urban population may seem an odd location choice for the festival, Alchemy’s success has proven it a wise one. We recently spoke to director Mike Hoolboom about his experimental documentary Aftermath (pictured), ahead of its premiere at the festival.

Squint presents Organised Fun exhibition and Pop Up Shop
Whitespace, Edinburgh. 4-6 May, times vary
Scottish ready-to-wear clothing brand Squint, founded by Ellie Vallely in 2016, will host a weekend-long exhibition and pop-up shop at Whitespace this weekend in collaboration with illustrator Alice Dansey-Wright. The evening preview event on Friday will include drinks, a campaign film presentation and music from Aphid, while on Saturday drop-in workshops will be led by Dansey-Wright. Image: Mai Abuhendi

Stag & Dagger
Various venues, Glasgow. 6 May, 12pm
Scotland’s much smaller, much lower profile and much shorter equivalent to SXSW, Stag & Dagger takes over multiple Glasgow venues for the day. Local heroes Glasvegas celebrate the 10th anniversary of their self-titled debut album with a headline set at this year’s festival, while Japanese noise-rockers Bo Ningen (pictured), Detroit’s Protomartyr and locals Home$lice are also set to perform. Image: Ryan Johnston

Nevertheless, She Persisted
Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh. 8-18 May
Edinburgh-based photographer Mhairi Bell-Moodie uses a feminist-adopted rallying cry for the title of her latest exhibition. Nevertheless, She Persisted highlights the stories of 25 women, who have overcome child loss, domestic abuse, rape, self harm, body dysmorphia, suicide attempts, breast cancer, chronic illness and much more, through a series of powerful and evocative images. Image: Mhairi Bell-Moodie

Matchbox Cineclub: Turkish Star Wars (2K Restoration)
CCA, Glasgow. 4 May, 7pm
The 4th May is officially Star Wars day, and in honour of George Lucas’ space-set saga, Matchbox Cineclub are screening the world premiere of a brand new 2K digital scan of Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam, aka Turkish Star Wars. Using edited footage and music from Star Wars, as well as other films, director Çetin İnanç’s film has gained cult status over the years. May the 4th be with you. Image: Michael Dunne

Tez Ilyas: Teztify
The Stand, Glasgow. 9 May, 7.30pm
Being a British Muslim in the current political climate isn’t easy, and Tez Ilyas is here to tell you why. In his latest show Teztify, Ilyas teztifies (get it?!) against all the assumptions the world has of him, using much of the same witty and subversive cultural commentary as his previous shows, Tez Talks and Made In Britain. Image: Steve Ullathorne