A group of young Highland music enthusiasts are turning their passion for dance music into something meaningful, organising a special fundraising rave to support two of the region’s mental health charities.
Rave to Save will take place at Bogbain Farm near Inverness on Saturday 21 November, bringing together DJs, music lovers and friends for an afternoon and evening dedicated to supporting Mikeysline and Headspace Highlands.
The event is being organised by DJs Rory Fraser and Jon Anderson, with support from Betsy King, founder and producer of Highland creative organisation Raw Acts.
All proceeds will go directly to the two charities, helping them continue providing mental health support to people across the Highlands.
Running from 3pm until 1am, the event will feature a varied programme of dance music, including performances from Van Damn, Dannsa and Household.
Organisers have also arranged a 57 seat shuttle bus operating from the Morrisons bus stop on Millburn Road in Inverness, with the first departure at 2.30pm and transport included in the ticket price.
Local food business Ollie’s Pops will provide refreshments from 6pm until 10pm, while last entry to the event will be at 7pm.
But behind the music lies a message about friendship, connection and challenging the assumptions sometimes associated with rave culture.
The organisers want to demonstrate that dancing and enjoying music together can create positive social experiences without pressure to consume alcohol or drugs.
Jon Anderson, a DJ and producer from Nairn, has spent several years performing around Inverness and developed his own club night, Wobble!, while studying Applied Music at UHI.
He said:
“I feel honoured to be able to use this outlet to bring attention and funding to such important support groups like Mikeysline and Headspace Highlands.
“There is a negative stigma surrounding raving and clubbing.
“I believe raving can be used as a way to build connections with other humans, reduce anxiety and boost mood.
“Therefore, in this current world where we are starved of real connection and where anxiety is induced by technology, raving and dancing can be seen as a cure (when done safely).
“I am so happy to be able to bring so many great DJs and people together for an important cause!”
Fellow organiser Rory Fraser discovered DJing around four years ago and has since developed his own club night, RaveMore.
For him, the fundraiser represents an opportunity to use music to make a practical difference in his community.
He said:
“My main reason for the idea of “Rave to Save” was to bring my passion for music to do something good for the local community.
“By supporting Mikeysline, they can continue the great work they do with breaking down the stigma of talking about mental health.
“We also chose Headspace Highlands, run by Carly who also does great work similar to Mikeysline.
Both charities help to create a positive environment within the community, helping to push the conversation about mental health and why it matters to speak about how you’re feeling. Hopefully our event can help support them both.”
Betsy King welcomed the opportunity to expand Raw Acts beyond its established creative events and into community fundraising.
She said:
“I felt so honoured to have the lads approach me and say would you like to help organise this under the Raw Acts name.
“This was a perfect time as we had not long collated responses from a survey looking at how Raw Acts can expand and help the community more.
“It is super exciting we are going beyond just scratch nights.
“We are huge advocates for Mikeysline and Headspace Highlands in general, Carly even collated footage at our last standalone Raw Acts event.
“These are two incredible support systems for the Highlands and to have a fun event focusing on socialising and having a good time with friends etc is even better knowing we are doing it for these two support systems.”
The organisers hope the event will not only raise valuable funds but also encourage people to talk openly about mental health and recognise the importance of supporting one another.
For everyone involved, Rave to Save is about enjoying good music, making connections and helping two organisations whose work matters enormously to Highland communities.
