The world’s first Professor of Health Humanities will be joining the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth as the keynote speaker at the launch of the Hampshire Festival of the Mind at Portsmouth Cathedral.

Professor Paul Crawford, from Nottingham University, is the founder of the International Health Humanities Network which explores how art and creativity can be applied in health care. He will speak about his research programme to investigate Creative Practice as Mutual Recovery for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

The theme of the 2016 Hampshire Festival of the Mind is ‘Creativity Changes Lives’ and the launch event at Portsmouth Cathedral offers a spectacular selection of exhibitions, interactive creative activities for adults and children, a stalls marketplace, and a programme of workshops during the day.

The event is free, and visitors should feel free to drop in or stay for the whole day – there’s plenty going on!

Explore the outdoor art installation called the Labyrinth; take part in a Bellydance Flash Mob; or browse the art, fashion and sculpture exhibitions at leisure. Food and refreshments available from Lily & Lime Pop Up Cafe.

May is mental health awareness month, and at the launch event you’ll find more information about events, performances and activities going on around Hampshire and in your local area – all about working towards good mental health and wellbeing, no matter what your starting point.

Click here for more information about the launch event and all the other events and activities going on through May as part of the Hampshire Festival of the Mind.

You can find the event on Facebook here, or you can follow us on Twitter here #HFoTM