Bill Ryder Jones has been named as patron of the Liverpool Mental Health Festival (LMHF).
Running 1-16 October, the event looks to shine a light on issues surrounding mental health and challenge any associated stigmas.
The Merseyside musician will announce the winner of the festival’s writing competition as well as share his experiences and thoughts on his own struggles with mental health.
Bill co-founded The Coral when he was 13 years old and continues to make beautiful and deeply personal music with his latest acclaimed album West Kirby County Primary.
Commenting Bill Ryder-Jones said: ‘It’s a real honour for me to be asked by LMHF 2016 to be a patron of the event. Everyone knows that being open about issues of mental distress is what will one day shatter the taboo. What a brilliant thing that we can celebrate our imperfections whilst raising awareness and hopefully dispelling some myths along the way.
‘LMHF is without doubt a brilliant thing run by brilliant people that will do brilliant things for so many. Mental distress can be difficult to be around but I think the arts, as a tool can help us find beauty in the most awful of things, that’s one reason I’m so proud to be involved and hopefully I can be of some use!’
The festival culminates in a full day celebration on Saturday 8 October at Williamson Square. Charity Help Musicians UK will host a stall to tell people about its Music and Depression campaign.
The full festival programme will be available here from Monday 5 September.
Read our feature on Liverpool's music scene in 2016.
Running 1-16 October, the event looks to shine a light on issues surrounding mental health and challenge any associated stigmas.
The Merseyside musician will announce the winner of the festival’s writing competition as well as share his experiences and thoughts on his own struggles with mental health.
Bill co-founded The Coral when he was 13 years old and continues to make beautiful and deeply personal music with his latest acclaimed album West Kirby County Primary.
Commenting Bill Ryder-Jones said: ‘It’s a real honour for me to be asked by LMHF 2016 to be a patron of the event. Everyone knows that being open about issues of mental distress is what will one day shatter the taboo. What a brilliant thing that we can celebrate our imperfections whilst raising awareness and hopefully dispelling some myths along the way.
‘LMHF is without doubt a brilliant thing run by brilliant people that will do brilliant things for so many. Mental distress can be difficult to be around but I think the arts, as a tool can help us find beauty in the most awful of things, that’s one reason I’m so proud to be involved and hopefully I can be of some use!’
The festival culminates in a full day celebration on Saturday 8 October at Williamson Square. Charity Help Musicians UK will host a stall to tell people about its Music and Depression campaign.
The full festival programme will be available here from Monday 5 September.
Read our feature on Liverpool's music scene in 2016.
