Remaking Trauma

Remaking Trauma runs at The Social Hub Glasgow on Saturday 24 October, from midday to 2pm. It's part of the Focus on Film programme put on by the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF), and it brings together four short films that each look at how childhood trauma shapes the body, the home and identity. They're not all the same: the session draws on virtual reality, performance, animation and archive, so the films approach the subject from different angles rather than sticking to one format.

They've been described as profound and unflinching, and that's a fair way to put it. The films don't shy away from painful histories, but they're not just about the trauma itself — they're also about what comes after, opening up possibilities for understanding, transformation and hope. It's the kind of thing that asks you to sit with some heavy stuff and then think about how you move through it.

That fits with the wider festival it sits in. The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival is one of Scotland's most diverse cultural events, bringing together music, film, visual art, theatre, dance and literature. It takes a positive stance on mental health, celebrating the artistic work of people with experience of mental health issues and working with mental health organisations, arts bodies, community groups and artists to challenge stigma and promote social change. This year is a big one: the 2026 edition marks the festival's 20th year, running from 19 October to 8 November under the theme 'Reflections'.

Remaking Trauma is one of the sessions within that window. It's at The Social Hub Glasgow, 15 Candleriggs Square, Glasgow City Centre G1 1TQ, on Saturday 24 October from 12pm to 2pm. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, with options of £12, £10, £8, £6 or £4.