Songwriter and performer Callum Brew is holding an event aimed at celebrated the art of songwriting.

Inside the Mind of...Songwriter for Mental Health takes place at The Black Dog Oven, in Peel, on Saturday, from 2pm to 10.30pm, with money raised from the event going to Isle Listen.

All the music performed will be original songs, either recorded or non-recorded.

Callum told Island Life: ‘I came up with the idea of this event after being a student at UCM and having attended many charity events, I noticed so many performers just play cover songs.

‘Whilst performing cover songs is a good way of making income, I feel that the songwriting community doesn’t get enough publicity.’

He added: ‘People do not realise how much hard work goes into writing a good song, lyrically and mentally.

‘Some people’s mental health can be affected by everyday life and it can also affect their creativity within music, and that’s why I chose Isle Listen to be the charity I want to raise money for.’

Callum will be the first to perform at 2pm.

He will be followed by Eoin Molyneux at 2.45pm, Steven Breslin at 3.50pm, Steve Nash at 5pm, Heikki Koistinen at 5.55pm, Wez Clarke at 6.45pm, Jon Lightfield at 7.30pm, Dan Looney at 8.25pm, and finally, The Ballaghs at 9.15pm. There will also be a 20-minute talk by Isle Listen at 4.40pm.

Asked whether he hoped it will become a regular event, Callum said: ‘As a songwriter who believes in the progression of song writing, I firmly believe it will become a regular yearly event.

‘My music friends and family all agree that the progression of songwriters is continuing to grow but the lack of opportunities in many live venues affects them in many different ways.

‘This event gives them an opportunity to perform any new songs that have been recorded or not in a live environment, but not only that, it gives them an opportunity to perform in front of a live audience.’

Callum started out playing covers of pop, rock and folk music at Riffs open mic nights at Quids Inn, in Douglas.

He’s now a regular musician there and at The Crosby, and he tries to be involved with as many open mic sessions as possible.

Callum, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when he was 11, started songwriting in 2017 as a way to express his emotions and spread the word of autism awareness.

He said he was bullied throughout his time at school and got in trouble with teachers who didn’t understand his actions.

Callum didn’t get an opportunity to perform the first song he wrote live until he started having guitar lessons in May 2020 during the first Covid lockdown, with John Gregory (Blue John).

His first public guitar performance was in August that year.

In 2021, Callum was one of more than 40 musicians and DJs who took part in the Music 4 Motiv8 online festival, sponsored by Quids Inn, which raised over £3,000.

During a Guitarathon event hosted by Eugene Wilson he played a tune called Maple Spirit, about his connections to Canada and how people choose to not believe him.

His friend Jon Lysgard enjoyed the song and decided to produce it and it was released as a single in 2021.

‘At the time I was really proud of it,’ he said.

Since then he has written many more songs. His inspirations include Tom Walker, Lewis Capaldi, Dermot Kennedy and Sam Fender.

Later this year he hopes to release his debut album That’s What I Hear!!.

‘It’s about my autistic traits and how I can only hear what happens in my head,’ he said. ‘The album started out as nine songs but has since developed into a 12-song album.’