A SERIES of events dedicated to mental health awareness are planned for the Borders next month.

As part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF), Live Borders Arts and Creativity has created a programme of workshops, performances, films, and the premier of a new play to help people get creative and think more about their mental health.

Running between October 4-21, SMHAF events will take place in Melrose and Hawick.

The festival will begin with screenings of The Night of the Iguana (1964) at Heart of Hawick at 2pm on Wednesday, October 4 (£3), then Girl, Interrupted at 7pm (£5).

Further screenings of films which explore mental health will include: Wednesday, October 11 – The Snake Pit (1949), 2pm £3; Donnie Darko (2001), 7pm, £5; Wednesday, October 18 – Persona (1966), 2pm, £3; The Virgin Suicides (2000), 7pm, £5.

As part of the festival Live Borders specially commissioned a play by the all-female theatre company Koi Collective which will be performed at Melrose Corn Exchange on Saturday, October 7 at 7.30pm.

The play, Hysterical, tells the stories of historical 'mad women' and asks the question, are the structures which held these women back still in place?

Also taking to Heart of Hawick on Tuesday, October 17 will be dancer and circus artist Nikki Rimmer.

Unbroken is Nikki's debut solo performance which tells the story of a dark family secret.

Tickets for Unbroken are £8.

A free workshop titled Create will take place on Saturday, October 21 at Melrose Corn Exchange where participants can spend the day in a relaxed environment enjoying workshops and live performances which highlight the ways in which being creative can help prevent and improve mental ill health.

Create will include singing and songwriting with the Health in Harmony choir, who will perform that afternoon.

Live Borders hopes that the workshops, performances and screenings will allow people to take time to do something positive for their mental health.

Tickets and content guidance can be found at: liveborders.org.uk/whatson