Congress Cultural Fringe

We have again put together a jam-packed programme of fringe events, all with the focus of allowing you to make the most of meeting colleagues and friends in person, in informal settings. Join us for our welcome drinks reception, a series of lunches and the Mindmasters quiz. Explore the full programme of events below.

Sunday 16 June

  • We will be kicking off our fringe programme with a welcome reception on Sunday 16 June from 5.00pm - 6.30pm. We hope this will be an opportunity to catch up with colleagues and friends ahead of the Congress. What better way is there to start Congress 2023 off in style?

    We are aware that Eid al-Adha is due to fall during the Congress, and as this is a time of celebration for many of you, we would like to invite you to join us for the reception in your traditional dress.

  • Following an incredibly successful launch and continued popularity at the 2023 International Congress, the Mindmasters quiz returns for its third year in 2024! Members from across the UK will form teams to compete to become the RCPsych Mindmasters champions. Will your team be champions of RCPsych Mindmasters 2024?

  • Tuesday 18 June

  • Wednesday 19 June

  • Thursday 20 June

  • Do you want to be a driving force for change and improve the public perception of mental illness and psychiatry? 

    We are recruiting champions from across the College to reshape the narrative around mental illness, develop better understanding of psychiatric treatments and increase awareness of the role of psychiatrists.

    The RCPsych Ambassador network is for anyone who is part of the College community, members, patients & carers, staff and honorary fellows. 

    Inspired to use your voice? Join us at the RCPsych Ambassador workshop at Congress 2024. This is your chance to gain the skills to represent your profession and influence change. 

    Workshop highlights: 

    The session will equip you with a clear understanding of the role of the RCPsych Ambassador including practical strategies, resources to get you started, an introduction to the network, understanding of how the media works, being savvy on social media, and top tips for a successful mental health champion.

    Speakers

    Corinne Bishop, Director of Strategic Communications, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Sal Lalji, Head of External Affairs, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Angela McCrimmon, Expert by experience

    Peter Markham, Head of Digital

  • The Climate and Ecological crises are the greatest threat to human health and emotional wellbeing the world is facing. This clear and current danger can provoke a range of complex emotional reactions such as anxiety, despair, hopelessness and anger. Daily life can provide few opportunities to talk about what our changing world means for us, our families, our social and cultural values, as well as our mental health and wellbeing.

    Join us in this taster climate café led by trained facilitators. We will provide a confidential and welcoming group space to connect with others and share thoughts, feelings and reactions related to the Climate and Ecological Crisis. The Café is an advice free zone and doesn’t advocate specific actions, but instead provides an opportunity to reflect and engage. No previous knowledge is necessary, and you can share as little or as much as you feel comfortable to. By coming together, we know that we are not alone, and can start to think about how we might take on this challenge that we are all facing.

    Speakers

    Dr Dasal Abayaratne, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
    Elspeth Crawford, Climate Psychology Alliance
    Dr Louise Robinson, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
    Dr Josephine Fielding, West London NHS Trust 
  • 12.55pm - 1.55pm
    SAS doctors' lounge
    SAS doctors' lounge - Meet the Committee Officers/CCQI
  • 12.55pm - 1.55pm
    Student and trainees' lounge
    Student and trainees' lounge: Trainee wellbeing, coaching and mentoring

  • Directly following his plenary lecture titled, 'Personality disorders and complex trauma unlocked: how to work with universal emotional needs', Professor Emeritus Arnoud Arntz will be answering your questions!

    You will be able to submit questions for Professor Arntz through the Congress app, or ask them live in the room.

  • Overview

    This session will explore how creative arts (specifically literature, poetry and music) may ameliorate our personal and vicarious experiences of existential despair. Professor Christopher Dowrick will consider how creative arts enable us to acknowledge the deeply inconsolable, to ‘think’ reality when ordinary human thought falls short, to allow for the possibility of imagining the ‘shabby, confused, agonised crisis which is the common reality of suicide’ and to develop empathy towards individuals who seek it.

    With the help of Leo Tolstoy, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Ludwig van Beethoven and Bruce Springsteen, Professor Dowrick will explain how creative arts can broaden our approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention.

    They allow us the possibility of imagining suicide and of feeling empathy towards individuals who undertake it. We become more able to turn towards suffering, more curious about the person’s experience, and more present and engaged. With the result that we can sit with and listen to the person in despair. Bearing witness to suffering, giving the other person a sense of being understood and accepted, is the first essential step towards hope.

    Speakers

    Professor Christopher Dowrick, University of Liverpool, Liverpool

  • Come and join us for some stand up comedy with a mental health theme. This will be a ‘Bright Club’ style event – where funny meets brains – headlined by none other than Sophie Scott from University College London.

    We are also looking for 4-6 volunteers to do 5-7 minute sets, and will coach them to develop a script and make it funny! All you’ll need is something you want to say – be it alternative, anecdotal, observational, satirical – it doesn’t even really need to be about mental health.  We are looking for a broad range of presenters from any background. If you want to give it a try, and get accolades from your peers for years to come, please email: s.lawrie@ed.ac.uk

  • Join members of the Planetary Health and Sustainability Committee, Dr Katherine Witter and Dr Philippa Clery for a Nature Walk around Edinburgh. 
     
    This will be a great way to explore the city, learn more about nature and mental health, and meet other like-minded conference attendees. 
     
    We will meet at 6:30pm in front of the main entrance to the conference centre. The session will last around 1 hour and the walk itself will be around 45 mins. 

  • Staying calm in the midst of a storm - mindfulness for psychiatrists

    The current NHS pressures put a huge strain on the NHS, and on psychiatry staff at all levels, and in all sub-specialties. Emotional well-being of psychiatrists and the population as a whole is affected by the uncertainty and the sense of unrelenting demands arising from the crisis, aggravated further by a catastrophic economic downturn and societal dissatisfaction. Strikes of consultants and junior doctors have highlighted the sense of unease in psychiatry, and medicine at large. 

    Mindfulness-based intervention can have a positive influence on the well-being of health professionals as reflected by the NICE guidance for staff well-being recommending mindfulness-based programs (NICE March 2022) . 

    Florian Ruths and Joy Patterson  have developed a taster program of three  45-minute sessions during the congress to introduce psychiatrists to the ideas of mindfulness.

    Mindfulness for Psychiatrists (M4P) are three daily, brief, practical introductions to mindfulness during challenging times for psychiatry and the world at large. Its aim is to provide psychiatrists with a tool to touch base with calmness, self-compassion, keeping perspective and enhancing self-regulation and well-being while under clinical, social and personal pressure. The three sessions are different and can be enjoyed as a series. Each session works on its own as well.

    Facilitators

    Dr Florian Alexander Ruths, Maudsley Hospital

    Dr Joy Patterson, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

  • Founded in 2017, the Congress Run is a guided 5km jog for all abilities. Meeting outside the Conference Centre main entrance at 8am the route passes highlights of Edinburgh including the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle and the Meadows. Whatever your pace, this friendly event is an established highlight of the conference social programme
  • 8.00am - 8.45am
    Menteith
    Yoga

  • All are welcome to attend this session - the focus will be on 'early-career' psychiatrists - all trainees plus SAS doctors and consultants in their first five years.

    Overview

    1. Learn about the utility of coaching and mentoring - whether one-to-one or in groups - in peer support, training and professional development 
    2. Hear about College resources, peer-support and coach-mentoring schemes across Divisions, Devolved Nations, Faculties and grades and share your reflections
    3. Try your hand at a practical skills exercise in relational skills-sets that are already familiar to psychiatrists, using common job and interpersonal scenarios, to enable appreciation of the two-way partnership of active listening and mutual reflection
  • We would like to invite all MRCPsych Examiners attending the International Congress on Tuesday 18 June 2024 to our Examiners’ Lunch. This is an opportunity to get lunch away from the crowds, meet fellow examiners and discuss new developments such as free text feedback in the CASC, and our new reading lists for candidates. It will also be an opportunity to meet our new Chief Examiner Dr Vivek Agarwal, who is taking over from Dr Ian Hall in late June.
  • Join us during the lunch break to meet members of our 15 College Special Interest Groups to learn about each group and meet with like minded individuals. This is an informal drop-in session with executive committee members available to chat to, and answer questions about their SIGs. Lunch will be served in the room
  • Do you want to be a driving force for change and improve the public perception of mental illness and psychiatry? 

    We are recruiting champions from across the College to reshape the narrative around mental illness, develop better understanding of psychiatric treatments and increase awareness of the role of psychiatrists.

    The RCPsych Ambassador network is for anyone who is part of the College community, members, patients & carers, staff and honorary fellows. 

    Inspired to use your voice? Join us at the RCPsych Ambassador workshop at Congress 2024. This is your chance to gain the skills to represent your profession and influence change. 

    Workshop highlights: 

    The session will equip you with a clear understanding of the role of the RCPsych Ambassador including practical strategies, resources to get you started, an introduction to the network, understanding of how the media works, being savvy on social media, and top tips for a successful mental health champion.

    Speakers

    Corinne Bishop, Director of Strategic Communications, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Sal Lalji, Head of External Affairs, Royal College of Psychiatrists

    Angela McCrimmon, Expert by experience

    Peter Markham, Head of Digital

  • 1.40pm - 2.40pm
    SAS doctors' lounge
    SAS doctors' lounge: Leadership and management
  • 1.40pm - 2.40pm
    Student and trainees' lounge
    Student and trainees' lounge: Meet the College Officers

  • Staying calm in the midst of a storm - mindfulness for psychiatrists

    The current NHS pressures put a huge strain on the NHS, and on psychiatry staff at all levels, and in all sub-specialties. Emotional well-being of psychiatrists and the population as a whole is affected by the uncertainty and the sense of unrelenting demands arising from the crisis, aggravated further by a catastrophic economic downturn and societal dissatisfaction. Strikes of consultants and junior doctors have highlighted the sense of unease in psychiatry, and medicine at large. 

    Mindfulness-based intervention can have a positive influence on the well-being of health professionals as reflected by the NICE guidance for staff well-being recommending mindfulness-based programs (NICE March 2022) . 

    Florian Ruths and Joy Patterson  have developed a taster program of three  45-minute sessions during the congress to introduce psychiatrists to the ideas of mindfulness.

    Mindfulness for Psychiatrists (M4P) are three daily, brief, practical introductions to mindfulness during challenging times for psychiatry and the world at large. Its aim is to provide psychiatrists with a tool to touch base with calmness, self-compassion, keeping perspective and enhancing self-regulation and well-being while under clinical, social and personal pressure. The three sessions are different and can be enjoyed as a series. Each session works on its own as well.

    Facilitators

    Dr Florian Alexander Ruths, Maudsley Hospital

    Dr Joy Patterson, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

  • Overview

    In this workshop I will start by discussing what Haiku is, talk about the structure of classical Haiku, and focus on the nature of images in Haiku. I will give examples drawn from Basho (1644-1694) and other masters. Most of the time will be spent on writing Haikus and discussing how to think about Haikus and how to improve on the examples produced during the workshop.

    Speakers

    Professor Femi Oyebode, Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry, University of Birmingham (Retired)

  • Overview

    An immersive session in which you will emerge with new skills, tools and mindset

    Speakers

    Dr Sridevi Kalidindi, Consultant Psychiatrist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

  • All delegates are welcome to join the Presidential Lead for Global Mental Health, Professor Mohammed Al-Uzri, to learn about the growing influence of the RCPsych around the world. Following the success of the College’s first International Strategy, our second International Strategy was launched in April 2024. Come and learn about the international work of the College, including our first International Diploma, our partnerships in Ghana, Kenya and Palestine, the growth of our six International Divisions as well as our plans for the future.  

  • All are welcome to attend this session - the focus will be on 'later-career' psychiatrists - SAS doctors and consultants beyond 5yrs in job

    Overview

    1. Learn about the utility of coaching and mentoring - whether one-to-one or in groups - in peer support, training and professional development 
    2. Hear about College resources, peer-support and coach-mentoring schemes across Divisions, Devolved Nations, Faculties and grades and share your reflections
    3. Try your hand at a practical skills exercise in relational skills-sets that are already familiar to psychiatrists, using common job and interpersonal scenarios, to enable appreciation of the two-way partnership of active listening and mutual reflection
  • Meet your College Officers in this special session in the SAS Doctors lounge during the lunch break
  • 1.10pm - 2.10pm
    Student and trainees' lounge
    Student and trainees' lounge: Meet the Chief Examiner

  • Overview

    Former Dean of RCPsych, Dr Kate Lovett is delighted to introduce you to the story and work of internationally acclaimed jazz musician, Jeremy Sassoon.

    Jeremy’s story is a fascinating one. Selected to attend the Royal Northern College of Music as a child Jeremy’s musical talent was never in doubt. However, in what he describes as an act of teenage rebellion he shunned a musical career for one in medicine, qualifying from the Middlesex medical school in 1988. He then went on to train as a psychiatrist in Manchester alongside being a key member of the iconic 1990s “Diagnosing the Blues” band.

    In 1995 Jeremy rocked the Manchester psychiatric establishment by deciding to leave the profession to focus full-time on his blossoming musical career. Denied the opportunity to train flexibly, Kate Lovett credits witnessing his existential struggle to combine his talents in a rigid system, as fuel throughout her career to make training systems better.

    Since choosing music, Jeremy has become a highly successful singer/pianist. In this spellbinding performance, Jeremy will reflect candidly on both his careers and his own mental health, through music and storytelling, ultimately concluding that music and psychiatry are not so very far apart.

    Speakers

    Dr Kate Lovett, Livewell Southwest
    Jeremy Sassoon

  • Overview

    Art-based methods serve as a powerful tool for individuals to showcase their emotions, experiences, needs, and narratives. These methods have proven to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and foster a sense of community support for those facing mental health challenges. One of the most popular arts-based approaches is the Theatre of the Oppressed (TO). In this session, we will show a glimpse of the Theatre of the Oppressed. Our audience will have the opportunity to become active "spect-actors" who will not only witness but actively engage with the staged narratives, fostering positive change. In this session, the delegates will gain insights into how the Theatre of the Oppressed techniques have been used in India and Pakistan to empower people with the lived experience of mental illness and to engage the local community, including patients, caregivers, their families, and neighbouring community members, to participate in a dialogue and discussion on mental health.

    Speakers

    Komal Dayani, Queen Mary University, London
    Kainat Khurshid, Interactive Research Development, Pakistan
    Mangala R, Schizophrenia Research Foundation, India
    Mr Mehmood Bhatti, Interactive Research Development, Pakistan
    Ms Harini Jayaraman, Schizophrenia Research Foundation, India
    Dr Victoria Bird, Queen Mary University of London, London
    Renata Peppl, Queen Mary University of London, London
    Rosie Hunter, Queen Mary University of London, London

  • Overview

    Whilst in Scotland why not learn a little of the national dance. Set to bagpipe music Highland dancing is a style of competitive dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the 19th and 20th centuries. Did you know ... a Highland Dancer will hop or spring vertically 192 times during a 6 step Highland Fling, that is the equivalent as running a mile on one foot at a time. This session will showcase a number of different highland dances and then give you the opportunity to learn the basic positions and the first step of the highland fling.

    Speakers

    Dr Rosemary Gordon, NHS Lothian, Scotland

  • Staying calm in the midst of a storm - mindfulness for psychiatrists

    The current NHS pressures put a huge strain on the NHS, and on psychiatry staff at all levels, and in all sub-specialties. Emotional well-being of psychiatrists and the population as a whole is affected by the uncertainty and the sense of unrelenting demands arising from the crisis, aggravated further by a catastrophic economic downturn and societal dissatisfaction. Strikes of consultants and junior doctors have highlighted the sense of unease in psychiatry, and medicine at large. 

    Mindfulness-based intervention can have a positive influence on the well-being of health professionals as reflected by the NICE guidance for staff well-being recommending mindfulness-based programs (NICE March 2022) . 

    Florian Ruths and Joy Patterson  have developed a taster program of three  45-minute sessions during the congress to introduce psychiatrists to the ideas of mindfulness.

    Mindfulness for Psychiatrists (M4P) are three daily, brief, practical introductions to mindfulness during challenging times for psychiatry and the world at large. Its aim is to provide psychiatrists with a tool to touch base with calmness, self-compassion, keeping perspective and enhancing self-regulation and well-being while under clinical, social and personal pressure. The three sessions are different and can be enjoyed as a series. Each session works on its own as well.

    Facilitators

    Dr Florian Alexander Ruths, Maudsley Hospital

    Dr Joy Patterson, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

  • Overview

    Bombay Jam is the ultimate dance fitness total body workout set to custom music mixes with the hottest Bollywood tracks combined with Western Top 40 songs for instant universal appeal. It is packed with authentic Bollywood flavour and suitable for all genders, ages, fitness levels. No dance experience needed. It’s so much fun. What're you waiting for?

    Facilitators

    Dr Swapna Gambhir, Consultant Anaesthetist, Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Certified Fitness Instructor 
  • 1.10pm - 2.10pm
    Cromdale
    Art workshop
  • 1.10pm - 2.10pm
    SAS doctors' lounge
    SAS doctors' lounge: Coaching and mentoring
  • 1.10pm - 2.10pm
    Student and trainees' lounge
    Student and trainees' lounge: Meet the PTC and find out what we do

Contact us

Email: congress@rcpsych.ac.uk

Phone: 020 8618 4120

Twitter: @rcpsych and  #RCPsychIC