Change Your Mind Festival is taking place from March 29th to 31st.
A free mental health festival is returning to Sligo.
Change Your Mind Festival, organised by Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Services, is back after a hugely successful first year.
Its inaugural event achieved an Irish Health Care Award and a prize from National Doctors Training and Planning.
The aim of Change Your Mind Festival is to promote positive mental health and prevent stigma.
Organisers say this year's event is going to be bigger and better; taking place over a three day period from Friday, March 29th to Sunday, March 31st.
Change Your Mind Festival takes place in two venues - The Glasshouse Hotel and the Knocknarea Arena (Sligo IT).
There's something for people of all ages with a jam packed line-up, including music, comedy, magic and science shows, cooking demos, yoga, pilates and mindfulness workshops.
Those attending will also have the opportunity to listen to mental health professionals from within the HSE.
One of the festival's chief organisers, Psychiatry Registrar with Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Services, Dr Ignazio Graffeo spoke to The Hub.
He explained why last year's event was such a big success:
"It was one day last year and we had over 1,000 people. It was a big response from people because there was the need of such a thing - an event like this where everybody can talk freely about mental health and having fun together. Having fun is a big part of positive mental health."
Dr Graffeo said he hopes Change Your Mind Festival 2019 educates people on how to prevent mental illness and reduce stigma by talking openly about it.
You can listen to the full interview below.
