A new fundraising partnership with Scotland’s leading mental health charity, the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), has been announced by ‘Van Gogh Alive’, the multi-sensory exhibition created and produced by Grande Experiences. Much of the facts of Van Gogh’s life and inspirations behind his work are the stuff of legend, but we are now only beginning to understand the deeply human nature of the many struggles he suffered throughout his life. This partnership seeks to raise money to help SAMH do its vital work, while bringing mental health to the forefront of audiences’ minds when reflecting on the ‘Van Gogh Alive’ experience.
SAMH has served Scotland since around 1923, providing mental health support in over 60 communities across the country, as well as working with organisations to develop ground-breaking campaigns and influence government action. Their most recent manifesto Standing up for Mental Health, released in the run up to the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, contains 38 actions needed to combat mental health in Scotland, aimed at influencing those in power to take action.
The fundraising partnership between ‘Van Gogh Alive’ and SAMH will raise money that will go towards helping the charity take forward its strategy for 2021-24 called We Won’t Wait; one of the key tenets of which is putting the voices and views of people who are affected by mental health problems at the heart of the charity’s approach.
At the ‘Van Gogh Alive’ event, audiences will be able to experience Van Gogh’s work like never before, and hopefully gain a perspective and understanding about the artist and his work that speaks to the collective human experience.
John Carrigan, Project Director for ‘Van Gogh Alive’ said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with SAMH to highlight and raise money to support their work.”
Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH, said: “We’re delighted ‘Van Gogh Alive’ has chosen to support SAMH. The last few years have been difficult for most of us, and for many of those already coping with mental health issues, the pandemic has exacerbated the problems they were already facing.
“The money raised from this event will help us be there to provide support to those in our communities who need it most.”
Bruce Peterson, owner of Grande Experiences, said: “After mesmerising a global audience of over 8 million people and selling-out cities all over the world, including Rome, Sydney and Beijing, we’re incredibly excited that ‘Van Gogh Alive’ makes its Scottish debut in the nation’s capital. This is an unforgettable cultural experience for all the family.”
Tickets are available at www.vangoghaliveuk.com/edinburgh: £22/20 (concessions) for adults and £15 for children, with school group discounts available and Under 5’s are free of charge.
Worried about COVID symptoms affecting your visit? Well, you can book with confidence because no one with symptoms or who has been asked to self-isolate should attend the exhibition. And with that in mind, we have updated our terms and conditions so that you have up to 48 hrs before your visit to return or exchange your tickets for these reasons. Tickets are available via our official trusted ticketing partner and member of The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, Red61.
