A workshop for mental health professionals and organisations to improve mental health support and access to services for those living with sight loss.

Cardiff University will play a central role in the UK’s flagship Being Human Festival this November, with a powerful, art-led installation exploring sight loss, mental health, and empathy in healthcare.

By 2030, 2.7 million UK individuals will have untreatable vision impairment leading to significant disability. Research by Cardiff University showed that depression in UK patients with visual impairment is amongst the highest of any patient group and 75% of those with depression were not receiving any support. Find out more about the research.

Eight Voices in Darkness is an immersive sound and photography installation developed in collaboration with installation artist Richard Bowers and Sight Life’s Photography Club. The exhibition captures deeply personal reflections on the emotional impact of VI—offering rare insight into a marginalised reality often overlooked in general mental health services.

We invite mental health professionals and organisations to a dedicated workshop to respond to the exhibition and consider practical steps they can take to improve accessibility, understanding, and support in their own practice. The project builds on the team’s earlier success in developing integrated care pathways with optometrists - now expanding the conversation into new areas of health and social care.

The workshop is a unique opportunity for those working in mental health, whether in NHS, third sector or privately to unite to improve policy, practice and access to services for those living with sight loss and mental health challenges.

Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided to attendees taking part in the workshop.

This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6-15 November 2025. Being Human is led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information - beinghumanfestival.org

Location

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• Chapter Arts Centre
• Market Road
• Canton
• Cardiff
• CF5 1QE

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