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Today marks the start of Mental Health Week, running until Saturday 15 October with World Mental Health Day tomorrow.
The week is about shining the light on mental health by educating and engaging people through interactive events across the state, including community festivals, art exhibitions, music, theatre and seminars.
One such event is the Festival of Now, coordinated by the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia in Light Square on Friday 14 October, to bring the mental health community together, showcase the creativity used in the healing journey and reduce the stigma still associated with this multi-faceted condition.
Two of my poems, ‘Beautiful thinking‘ and ‘Session time‘, have been shortlisted for a Mindshare Poetry Award, which I’m thrilled about, but unfortunately I can’t attend the event because I’ll be interstate. But I’ll be sure to check in after to catch a roundup of the day’s program.
So get involved wherever and however you can to help promote mental health, and keep yours healthy.
To help celebrate Mental Health Week in South Australia, Mindshare hosted “HeadRead” on Wednesday night for the entrants and winners of their recent “When Words Come to Life” poetry competition to perform some of their work.
The evening was brilliantly compered by Jude Aquilina, a wonderful poet who has published several fantastic collections and Nina Pearce, an MHCSA administrator who has been working tirelessly to help coordinate events throughout the week.
I was the second to read, and managed to do so with confidence and without issue! I read alongside new and established poets, some with very poignant stories to tell, but all demonstrating a battle with the self and the impact of an unhealthy state of mind. The whole experience felt almost cathartic, a real sense of opening up and removing the mask that some are better maintaining than others. This took courage, and I felt privileged to be a part of it.
The session finished with showing the films of the winning entries (lookout for a little black dog, images courtesy of wonderful artist Fran Sherman). All were very different, a beautiful kaleidoscope of images and words, again with some very powerful moments that left an imprint long after the screen went dark, like closing your eyes on the sun.
It felt good to read my work, and to network, and share and listen, definitely an aspect to help maintain my own poetic mental health, and one that will almost certainly provide inspiration for future pieces.
And today is World Mental Health Day! So take some time out to check in on your current state and make that mental health promise to yourself now. It can be as easy as just taking the time to look after yourself, which could be getting more sleep, regular exercise, eating healthier meals but essentially, do whatever makes you happy.
Mental Health Week in South Australia starts on 5 October and there are a range of events to get involved in across the State – breakfasts, book launches, walks and even “Odd Socks Day”, to promote the fact that we all have “odd” days!
The week is organised by the Mental Health Coalition for South Australia (MHCSA) and will begin with a balloon launch to symbolise the “letting go” of the stigma still associated with this often invisible condition, with the purpose of the week being to raise awareness of the impact it can have on the daily lives of people, their family and carers.
Mindshare are helping to host the creative events, which include “HeadRead” taking place on Wednesday 8 October at the Coffee Pot on Rundle Mall, where entrants and winners of their recent “When Words Come to Life” Poetry Competition will perform some of their work alongside the short films based on the eight winning poems.
I have selected 3 pieces to read for the event, as my winning poem will be heard during the film I helped to create. These poems convey a variety of states in respect of the delicate balancing act of the self with its mental well-being. This will actually only be the third poetry performance I have ever done, but I am very aware of the public profile poets require today, even if they do prefer privacy and solitude! So I will get in some practice and keep my eyes open for further opportunities to “speak” rather than just write my work.
J V Birch 