Outside looking in: Piping Live! supports mental health awareness

While the outside of a pipe bag can appear colourful and bright, the inside is a dark and complicated space. Thus is the inspiration for Piping Live’s annual awareness campaign to highlight mental health awareness.

The 2018 Glasgow International Piping Festival is combining music and fashion by working with a local fashion designer to create a bespoke bag cover with a hidden mental health message on the outside only visible with a camera flash.

Harry Miller, chief designer for Glasgow-based Forty clothing is creating the cover to support the Scottish Association of Mental Health. The piece will make its first runway appearance at Piping Live!’s annual Big Band march, where pipers and drummers of all ages and abilities gather to kick off the festival, this year held August 13-19.

Organizers anticipate upwards of 50,000 people will come to see and hear 200 events from a total of 8,000 performers at Piping Live! 2018.

“We’re thrilled to bring back the Piping Live! Big Band which, this year, is in association with SAMH. Mental health is a huge topic for us at Piping Live! and we feel strongly about encouraging young people to talk openly about their mental health,” said Roddy MacLeod, Director of Piping Live.

Harry Miller said, “It’s an honour to be asked to collaborate with Piping Live! Mental health is something that is incredibly close to my heart. Their partnership with SAMH for the Big Band project is a great opportunity for everyone to get involved with Piping Live! whilst raising awareness of an issue that affects so many young people. The design of the bag is symbolic of how someone suffering from mental health problems can look perfectly happy on the outside or on social media but on the inside, it can often be a different story.”

pipes|drums is pleased to be the official media partner of Piping Live! once again.