Mann Mela is a digital museum of stories about young people’s mental health in India. Through featuring real individuals’ stories, we aim to tackle common misconceptions about mental health, address common mental health problems and illnesses, and share information on how to seek help, tackle stigma and build resilience. Mann Mela tells stories through innovative art and technology-assisted exhibits, enabling audiences to interact with contributors’ personal experiences while learning more about mental health.

Mann Mela tells young people’s stories from across India highlighting different voices and perspectives such as language, age, region, gender expression, sexual orientations, socio economic status, political and religious perspectives, physical and psychosocial disability and mental health experiences.

This project is led by an interdisciplinary team of youth with lived experiences of mental health, global mental health experts, public engagement specialists and human centred designers and artists.

Mann Mela was launched online on International Youth Day, 12th August 2020 following a one-year phase of design, consultation and development with young people across India. It is an initiative by India’s first youth focussed mental health campaign, It’s Ok To Talk by Sangath.

In 2019, It’s Ok To Talk was recognised as one of the 10 most prominent international mental health campaigns by Facebook.