The 'Understanding Oor Mad History' Course 2026

We are delighted to announce that the Understanding Oor Mad History course will be returning in January 2026!

After the success of our first course in February this year, the Oor Mad History project at CAPS Independent Advocacy is holding another free five-week community Mad Studies course of learning, discussion and community building based in the University of Edinburgh.

The course will lead participants through five weeks focusing on different topics relating to madness, mad history, activism and advocacy. We will also connect and learn from each other through discussion questions and interactive group work.

Date: The course will start on Tuesday 27th January 2026 and then run on Tuesdays 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th February.

Place: The Lothian Health Services Archives at the University of Edinburgh.

Who it’s for: People with experience of mental health issues.

Structure:

Week 1: 27th January, 10am-3.30pm: Introduction: What is Oor Mad History?

Week 2: 3rd February, 10am-3.30pm: The History of Confinement and Treatments

Week 3: 10th February, 10am-3.30pm: Madness, Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality

Week 4: 17th February, 10am-3.30pm: Activism Then and Now

Week 5: 24th February, 1.30pm-4.30pm: Arts as Advocacy

A certificate from CAPS will be available upon completion of the five weeks. Participating students will get a pass to access the University of Edinburgh Library, and will work with unique collections from Lothian Health Services Archive.

We ask that you please make sure you are able to try attend every session.

Feedback from past participants:

“It was a warm, inclusive course that I would recommend as a whole.”

“Some of my best learnings and memories.”

“I learned more about myself from hearing from people who had similar experiences.”

What the course facilitator, Azra, has to say:

“Exploring and exposing Mad History is a powerful tool for reclaiming and projecting the voices and experiences of so many who have been silenced and stigmatised in society. By connecting our experiences, sharing knowledge, inviting discussion and building community, we can inspire change and tread new grounds of social justice.”

How do I get a place on the course?

PLEASE NOTE: If you want to join, then please book via Eventbrite and then send a message to with a little bit about yourself and why you want to come on the course. Azra will then reply and confirm your place.

For any questions, or if you wish to book by email, please also contact [email protected]

CAPS Independent Advocacy is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Scottish Charity number: SC021772

See our event participant privacy notice: https://capsadvocacy.org/privacy-statement/event-participant-privacy-notice for details of how we handle your data.

Who are CAPS Independent Advocacy?

CAPS is an independent advocacy organisation. We provide collective and individual advocacy in Lothian. In collective advocacy, groups of people across Lothian with mental health issues come together to voice their experiences in order to bring about change for others or improvements in services.

You can find out more about us at: https://capsadvocacy.org/

Who are LHSA?

Lothian Health Services Archive is NHS Lothian's archive based in Heritage Collections, University of Edinburgh. They hold a vast collection of material about the rich history of health and healthcare in our region: they are the largest health archive in the UK. Their holdings about the history of mental healthcare are one of their strengths, reflecting both psychiatric institutions and service-user activism.

Learn more about the LHSA's collections and how to arrange a visit via: https://www.lhsa.lib.ed.ac.uk/

Content Warnings

Please be aware that this course centres on the the topic of both historical and contemporary aspects of mental health. Materials, talks, and discussions may include content and language that can be difficult and disturbing, such as:

• Descriptions of mental illness.
• Suicide and self harm
• Drug misuse
• Medicalisation, sectioning, and confinement

Where possible, there will be contextualising information and content warnings. Please feel free to approach a member of staff with any questions you might have.

Accessibility at the Lothian Health Services Archives:

Information about accessibility regarding the space can be found here: https://library.ed.ac.uk/heritage-collections/using-the-collections/accessibility-information If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please contact LHSA at [email protected]

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