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World Mental Health Day 2026- Lived Experience Heard: Real Voices, Real Change

Friday 9 October 2026: Bermuda Hospitals Board’s (BHB) Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI) will be joining communities in Bermuda and around the world tomorrow in marking World Mental Health Day 2026. The organisation is embracing this year’s theme, “Lived Experience Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.”

The theme highlights the importance of listening to and learning from people who have experienced mental health challenges. Their stories, perspectives, and insights play a vital role in shaping compassionate, effective and person-centred mental health services.

BHB Acting CEO and Chief of Nursing Judy Richardson commented: “At MWI, individuals with lived experience are helping to guide improvements in care, support and recovery services. By creating opportunities for people to share their experiences and contribute to decision-making, the organisation is working toward a mental health system that better reflects the needs of those it serves.

“One example of this commitment is The Art of Being Human, the recent MindFrame PhotoVoice exhibit at City Hall that provided clients with a platform to share their experiences, perspectives and creativity with the wider community.”

The exhibit opened at the Bermuda Society of Arts on 11 September and concluded on 6 October. It featured more than 150 entries, including paintings, pastels, sketches, mixed media, poetry and photography.

Part of the exhibition has now moved to the Wellness Alcove in the main lobby of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. It is free and open to the public until Friday 16 October.

The majority of exhibitors are participants in the Art Therapy Programme at MWI, while others represent community-based programmes. Through their work, artists explored themes of resilience, recovery, hope, identity and connection, offering visitors a powerful glimpse into the human experience behind mental health challenges.

“Real progress happens when we listen,” said Rhiannon Fletcher, MWI art therapist and coordinator of the exhibit. “People with lived experience bring invaluable knowledge and understanding. Their voices help us improve services, reduce stigma and build a more inclusive and supportive community. The Art of Being Human demonstrates the power of creative expression to foster understanding and amplify voices that too often go unheard.”

“Mental health challenges affect people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life,” said Preston Swan, BHB’s Chief Operating Officer who has executive responsibility for MWI. “World Mental Health Day serves as a reminder that recovery is possible, support is available and every voice matters,” he added.

BHB Director of Mental Health Services Karen Grant Simmons noted: “Throughout the year, MWI remains committed to fostering meaningful partnerships with clients, families, caregivers and community members. By amplifying lived experience voices through initiatives such as The Art of Being Human, we aim to create lasting change that leads to better outcomes for our clients and families affected by mental illness.”

“This World Mental Health Day, Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute encourages the Bermuda community to take time to listen, learn and engage in conversations about mental health,” said BHB Chief of Psychiatry Dr Anna Neilson Williams.

She added: “Together, by hearing real voices and valuing lived experience, we can create real change.”

9 October 2026 Home Page, News

The Art of Being Human takes to City Hall

Tuesday 8 September 2026: One of the most anticipated art shows each year, the MindFrame PhotoVoice Exhibition, opens on Friday 11 September at the Bermuda Society of Arts.

The annual exhibition showcases the work of Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute clients who choose to take part and some artists from other programmes. The work fills the main gallery of the Bermuda Society of Arts and features a variety of works in different media, including, watercolour, oil painting, acrylic, pastels, sketches and photography on this year’s theme: The Art of Being Human.

Bermuda Hospitals Board art therapist Rhiannon Fletcher explains: “This year, clients and community members voted on the theme: The Art of Being Human. There was an excitement and freedom surrounding expressing their humanness, however it may show up. Art is a powerful tool to help discover and release emotion, and to make meaning of oneself and the world. The artwork created for this year’s show reflects both individual experiences and our shared humanity.”

BHB Acting CEO and Chief of Nursing Judy Richardson says: “We’re honoured to offer the opportunity to our MWI clients, and others in our community with mental health challenges, to exhibit their work.

“Research shows that this helps people to build up their self-esteem and feel valued by those they know and the wider community. It also gives the public an avenue to purchase work they may not otherwise have been able to see and to engage with the artists.”

This year there are 100 artists exhibiting a total of 150 pieces. Some of the work is available for purchase and most of the artists will be  on hand.

Client Rosharondra Trott says art journaling saved her voice. In her poem Why Mindframe Matters, she shares her experience and explains how it’s helped her.

Below is an excerpt from the poem.

“Art journaling through Mindframe has been my healing journey, and I’m grateful.

Here’s why it’s a must — not just for me, but for anyone who’s ever felt silenced:

  1. It’s a tool to help. When words get stuck in trauma, color doesn’t. When talking feels like danger, paint feels like safety. Dot by dot, I’m coming back to myself.
  2. It’s a tool to express myself. My brown hand with pink nails and a purple sleeve remembers what it means to be alive. On canvas I can be messy. I can be lots of paint. I don’t have to be “neat” or “small” or “fine.”
  3. It gives me hope. Every painting is proof: I didn’t quit. The robot hand said “destroy it.” The human hand said “keep going.” Hope is a wet brush that still moves.
  4. It gets my voice out there. For years trauma stole my voice. Through MindFrame, my voice is on a wall. The Art of Being Human isn’t just a title — it’s a declaration. People will see it. They will feel it.
  5. It’s a way I’m heard. I’m not “a case” or “a file” here. I’m Dr. Ro. I’m seen. My story matters. My pain has color now, and color can’t be ignored.

This is more than an art show. It’s a lifeline. “

MindFrame PhotoVoice runs from 11 September to 6 October 2026 at the Bermuda Society of the Arts gallery, located on the top floor of City Hall. Admission is free to the public. The gallery is open from 10am-4pm Monday to Friday and 10am-2pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays.

The public is invited to the opening event on Friday 11 September from 5pm–7pm.

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8 September 2026 Home Page, News