A FREE mental health arts festival is returning to Basingstoke for its sixth year.

The All in the Mind festival set to take place on Saturday, September 11, at Glebe Gardens on Churchill Way in the town centre.

It will be a physical event open for visitors ready to be entertained and inspired with a collection of activities and performances.

In 2020 the All in the Mind Festival went online due to the pandemic with over 10,000 people from all over the world logging on across the festival weekend to join in with a virtual programme of workshops and performances, but the team is excited to bring it back outdoors for 2021.

The event was announced this weekend with a special public performance of ‘This Place’, a dance theatre collaboration between the Fluid Motion Theatre Company and Zoie Logic Dance Theatre, with the support of local youth dance group Dance Phaze.

The festival exists as a platform to celebrate the power of the arts in improving mental health. It gives artists a safe and supportive platform to try out new ideas, share their work and be heard.

Artistic director Leigh Johnstone said: “The last 18 months have been challenging for all of us and it’s so important that we take part in events again that make us happy. A lack of human contact can have a detrimental on people’s mental health and wellbeing, so the team have been working hard to able to host the festival in person again this year, it fits perfectly with the reason we started All in the Mind in 2016.

“Whether it’s a theatre performance, dance, poetry, music, visual art or crafts every one of our acts has been chosen to make you feel good, to improve your wellbeing. This year we have five different areas for visitors to explore and we’ve expanded our line up to include much more for families and children, with shows and making activities that youngsters can get involved in. Poor mental health affects people of all ages and everyone needs an opportunity right now to get outside and do something positive. We are creating a safe and relaxed space for people to spend time together, be inspired and be entertained.”

Anyone interested in getting involved should visit http://www.aitmfestival.com/ for more information, to register your place and to sign up to receive updates.