Open Up supports the third Festival of Human Connection: Exploring food, community and wellbeing
On Wednesday 9 May, people from across Devon came together to attend the third Festival of Human Connection, a day dedicated to listening, sharing and exploring the everyday moments that bring us together.
Co-hosted by representatives from the Devon Mental Health Alliance, Shekinah Mission Plymouth and our charity, Open Up, the festival offered a welcoming space for individuals with lived experience, peer support workers, clinicians and volunteers to connect and collaborate.
This year's theme, shaped by feedback from previous years, focused on the powerful role of food in our lives - not only in terms of nourishment, but as a key influence on our mental health and wellbeing.
Sessions explored everything from food poverty and access to food banks, to cultural connections and the emotional impact of eating disorders. A powerful photo exhibition by a mother with lived experience of an eating disorder shared honest reflections on how society influences our relationship with food. This was complemented by a session from a specialist early intervention team, who spoke about the importance of timely support and understanding.
Intentional in its design, the festival broke with tradition: no lanyards, no PowerPoints - just round-circle conversations, creative exercises and meaningful one-to-one discussions. Many attendees described the atmosphere as open, nourishing and safe.
The round circle events were great, and I really valued the one-on-one conversations and meeting inspiring people
It really did feel like a very safe space to be open, as so many people were willing too.
Making connections in person was rewarding and hopefully will help build on those connections moving forwards.
Top left: David Thorne, Psychology Therapist Professional Lead, sharing insights. Bottom right: Matthew Sweet, Recovery Practitioner at Devon Mental Health Alliance (Shekinah), and Anja Kroening-Maynard, Community Development, discussing cost of living, food and learning Disabilities. Bottom : Group of people sharing, learning and building stronger community networks.
For some, the event planted the seeds for further growth, including joining local peer support groups and engaging in new collaborations. Facilitators also shared how much they valued the opportunity to shape and participate in a space designed with community at the forefront.
Preparing and delivering my session gave me new insight and understanding too. That's the win-win of being a facilitator.
You managed to create a safe space for all, and I felt very privileged to attend but also reminded that there is a wider community all wanting to support change. Together we can all contribute to that. I left feeling hope.
We are proud to have funded and supported this event alongside the Devon Mental Health Alliance. It reflects our core purpose to enhance, improve and bring innovation to mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity care across Devon and the South West. We do this by working collaboratively with our partners to fund projects, create meaningful connections and support conversations that lead to better outcomes for all.
If you would like to see more from the day, you can watch the highlights film. If you have an idea for how Open Up can support you, in a way that will broadly benefit our services, please visit our Apply for funding page for more information.