OOSOOM 2026 Press Release
The OOSOOM 2026 Poster.
Read it below, or download using the button to read or share with your networks.
Scotland’s biggest mental health art exhibition happens at Summerhall
20 October – 8 November 2026 at Summerhall, Edinburgh
“Gloriously inventive – and magically curated. With dark, light and colour. OOSOOM holds hope in a way that is open-hearted.”
Come and see the 14th Out of Sight Out of Mind (OOSOOM), a one-of-a-kind exhibition presenting artworks made by 300 people with experience of mental health issues and, like last year, it expects to draw an audience of thousands. It joins the national Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival programme which is in its 20th year, presenting a theme of ‘Reflections’.
The exhibition will be focused in one gallery and will extend its reach with a day of events, an afternoon tea, and the slow release of hundreds more artworks. All organised by and for people with experience of mental health issues.
Last year OOSOOM lost its regular funding, and the 2026 exhibition has been made possible by donations from the community and supporters via a crowdfunding campaign, as well as a grant from the City of Edinburgh Council's Local Events Fund. Organisers are still seeking the amount needed to continue the project next year.
OOSOOM has become hugely important to many people: it is described as joyful, important, unique, welcoming, inclusive, accessible, validating and lifesaving.
It is more than an exhibition: throughout the year a group of volunteers meet to organise the work, and many individuals, groups and organisations have the exhibition as a focus of their year-round creative work; it becomes a springboard for new ideas, future artworks and collaborations; it contributes to social change, reducing stigma and self-stigma.
OOSOOM was started in 2013 by a grassroots group and is now an open call annual exhibition and the biggest of its kind in Scotland. The project is now hosted by CAPS Independent Advocacy, which ensures that the work is led by the people involved.
This October, in a city renowned for its festivals, OOSOOM exhibition will be a celebration of collective and creative marginalised voices taking space to be seen and heard. It will become a space for thought and dialogue for anyone who visits. For the first time at OOSOOM, visitors and exhibitors can take part in a programme of events which will be announced on the website soon.
OOSOOM exhibition presents a wide variety of themes and topics, visitors should be aware that some may be affecting, thought provoking, adult, everyday and/or awesome.
Exhibition:
Dates & Times: 20 Oct to 8 Nov, Tue–Sun, 11am–6pm
Extended opening: Thu 22 & 29 Oct, until 8pm
Address: Summerhall, 1 Summerhall Place, Edinburgh
Accessibility: www.outofsightoutofmind.scot/news/accessibility-2026
Events:
OOSOOM Uncovered All Day – Wed 28 Oct 11am - 7pm (Free. Booking required):
11am-12.30pm – Reflections on showing an artwork (Film & Chat)
2-4pm – Make your own canvas artwork (Materials provided)
5.30-7pm – A celebration of OOSOOM 2026 (Gathering, Speeches & Soft drinks)
OOSOOM Afternoon Tea – Wed 4 Nov 2-4pm (Free. Booking required):
Contact:
More information, high-res images, interviews.
Pam Van de Brug, Art as Advocacy Manager, CAPS Independent Advocacy
Email: pam@capsadvocacy.org
Mobile: 07989 402634
Web: www.outofsightoutofmind.scot
Additional Quotes:
“OOSOOM represents for me, everything the world could be, in an amazing and joyful way, that currently feels it’s not for many people.” Visitor
“It’s a window into lived experiences that are often overlooked or unheard, but that matter. Experiences that hold value, beauty, insight, and truth — and speak to the universal human need to connect and be seen.” Visitor
“This exhibition gives me a voice in a world where I often feel voiceless. It’s not just about creating or showing work — it’s about being heard.” Exhibitor
“OOSOOM gives space to the kind of expression that can’t be forced into neat sentences or diagnoses. Here, I don’t need to explain myself in ways I can’t. Through art, I speak. Through this exhibition, I am understood.” Exhibitor
Note to editors
Out of Sight Out of Mind is organised by and for people who have lived experience of mental health issues: www.outofsightoutofmind.scot
A CAPS project. (CAPS Independent Advocacy is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Scottish Charity Number: SC021772): www.capsadvocacy.org
Part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival: www.mhfestival.com
Social media tags:
#OutOfSightOutOfMind2026
#OOSOOM2026
#ArtAndMentalHealth
#SMHAF #SMHAF26
Facebook:
@oosoomExhibition
@CAPS Independent Advocacy
@SummerhallArts
@ScottishMentalHealthArtsFestival