Community Spotlight: Heads Above The Waves Makes Space for Mental Health in Alternative Culture

We saw Heads Above The Waves at ArcTanGent this year, and their stall was a reminder that some of the most worthwhile things happening at a festival take place away from the stages. Their merch caught our attention immediately: strong designs, positive messages and clothes you would want to wear long after the weekend. Behind those designs is a nonprofit organisation raising awareness of depression and self harm in young people, using creativity, education and conversation to help people feel less alone.

Based in Cardiff, Heads Above The Waves, often shortened to HATW, is a Community Interest Company whose work draws on lived experience. The team speaks openly about their own mental health and the approaches that have helped them through difficult times. That experience informs their work: making difficult conversations easier, sharing positive coping ideas and reminding people that others have faced similar struggles.

That takes several forms. HATW delivers workshops in schools and offers digital sessions that people can access in their own time. Its website brings together personal stories, practical information and resources, including a diary for recognising patterns around difficult feelings and printable mindful colouring sheets. There is an emphasis on exploring what works for the individual, recognising that people respond to different approaches. HATW also signposts other organisations for support, with its own work centred on education, awareness and sharing coping ideas.

Music is part of that story. Si Martin, who helped found HATW, plays drums in Junior, and the organisation takes its message into festival settings, including appearances at 2000trees and ArcTanGent this summer. Seeing them at ATG made sense within a community brought together by alternative music. A stall gives people somewhere to encounter the organisation, look through its resources and start a conversation in familiar surroundings, without having to seek it out separately.

The merchandise deserves attention in its own right. What stood out to us was how good it looked: the sort of clothing that could comfortably sit alongside your favourite band shirts. HATW understands the appeal of a design you connect with, and the messages give those pieces another reason to become regular wears. Their online range includes designs carrying “I’m Glad You Exist” and “Find a Way”, putting encouragement somewhere visible and giving people a possible starting point for a conversation. Sales also help fund the organisation’s work, so picking something up supports what happens beyond the merch table.

HATW has announced the closure of its Cardiff shop, with merchandise sales moving online while workshops and resource distribution continue. That makes the website a useful place to explore both sides of the organisation: the clothing that helps sustain it and the information it exists to share. At the time of writing, we have not found confirmed festival appearances for the remainder of 2026, so keep an eye on their social channels for future opportunities to meet the team.

There are plenty of ways to get involved without buying anything, too. Sharing their resources can help information reach someone who needs it, while their volunteer mailing list connects people with opportunities as they arise. Donations and independent fundraising also support the work. For bands, promoters and creative communities, that could mean discussing a benefit gig, a merch fundraiser or another collaborative idea with the team. Schools and youth organisations can enquire about workshops as well.

Having seen Heads Above The Waves at ArcTanGent, we wanted to give their work some space here. Their presence adds something valuable to the festival community, and their designs give supporters a way to carry that message home. Take a look, find out what they do and share something that might be useful to someone you know.

Follow @headsabovethewaves on Instagram, explore the merch and resources at hatw.co.uk, or visit their Get Involved page for ways to donate, fundraise, volunteer and support their work.

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