This is an activities report for ‘It’s Ok To Talk’, an adolescent and youth-focused organization raising awareness about mental health and wellbeing.

It’s Ok To Talk is an adolescent and youth-focused initiative by Sangath that aims to increase awareness about mental health and wellbeing so that more young people are able to engage in a dialogue on mental health, and seek and get help.

It’s Ok To Talk is rooted in the belief that the arts and new media are powerful catalysts to improve mental health and wellbeing for young people. It is envisioned with the motto that good mental health makes life better for adolescents and young people, and aims to build spaces for dialogue on intersecting issues related to young people’s mental health. Partnerships are at the heart of It’s Ok To Talk’s work and these include collaboration with individuals and organisations that bring complementary expertise on community engagement, arts and social and digital media.

Their programme of awareness-building included public talks and performances, sharing personal narratives, puppetry shows, self-care workshops and the Merchant of Madness festival. They offered training and capacity building activities including leadership programmes, gender, sexuality and mental health curriculum training and theatre for mental health. The report also describes challenges and recommendations.

Sangath. (2019). Talking about Mental Health: Activities report 2017-19. New Delhi: Sangath.