The event brings together the community of mental health professionals, students, allies and more under one roof to discuss art, music, ideas and experiences.
Posted Date – 11:25 PM, Sunday – 11/27/22
The event brings together the community of mental health professionals, students, allies and more under one roof to discuss art, music, ideas and experiences.
Hyderabad: People painting on canvas, children laughing, people dancing to their heart’s content, positive and inclusive conversations around mental health, music and stand-up—these were the scenes at the South Pali exhibit grounds on Sunday.
As the conversation around mental health has gotten better in recent years, the city hosts the first-of-its-kind mental health festival, UDAAN, in an attempt to de-stigmatize mental health and create positive, constructive conversations around it .
Organized by the nonprofit Bright Side Foundation, the event brings together the community of mental health professionals, students, allies and more under one roof to discuss art, music, ideas and experiences.
“You see people often misinterpret the terms ‘mental problems’ and ‘mental health’ and use them in the same context. We’re calling it ‘Mental Health Day’ because the event is trying to celebrate mental health, positive attributes of mental health and promotes self-care,” said Swetha Desiraju, founder of Bright Side.
The extravaganza includes nine sessions, each of which is interesting and focuses on a different aspect of mental health. The “Who’s Clues” session emphasizes that people experience emotions differently and that individuals examine feelings of self-expression and self-love. “Inside Eight” is another session that focuses on helping people gain insight into their emotions and guides them to happiness in eight simple steps.
“Movement is Universal” engages participants in dance therapy, which teaches people to be in the moment and connect with themselves. “Art Station” is a place where people express themselves through sketches. The stories in the “Story Time” segment engage the audience.
“People don’t value mental health as much as they value physical health. Just like we have gyms to take care of our physical health, I hope these events are held more often because it’s important to have regular mental health-related conversations,” says one of the Participant Uday said.
There is also a children’s activity called ‘Taare Zamren Par’ that emphasizes understanding their emotions in a fun and effective way of creating origami. A “Drag Lab” featuring performances by Patruni Sastry and others.
“It’s crucial for children to understand and express their emotions from an early age. Self-expression, gratitude, a sense of belonging, practicing gratitude, balancing feelings, these are the things we try to promote,” says urban psychologist Fizahussain.
The day ends with an open mic lineup by stand-up comedian Syed Bashaar, a live band performance from “Nations Rock Beat” and other singing performances.