AWG working with Mindframe on portrayal of mental health on stage and screen

6 May, 2015

The Australian Writers Guild continues to play a key role in the Mindframe mental health and suicide prevention initiative, with AWG President Jan Sardi helping to lead planning at the project’s Advisory Group meeting.

Mindframe Program Manager Marc Bryant commended the 64 members and guests including the AWG who attended the joint planning day at Sydney University on 1 May 2015 to discuss “key ways forward to enhancing the work further with stage and screen stakeholders in the coming 12 months to three years”.

And he thanked the more than 80 people who attended the dinner the evening before which, he said “set the tone for the advisory group meeting, which included Jan telling the packed room how the power of storytelling can positively contribute to issues around mental illness and suicide.”

Mr Sardi, who wrote the Oscar-winning movie “Shine”, has said it is a mistake to set out to write a film or play about ‘mental illness’.

“Rather, the aim should be to write in a way that illuminates why someone behaves the way they do in the light of the challenges they face,” he told Mindframe. "Don’t treat them any differently to other characters. Make them three dimensional, with a challenge or challenges to deal with and conflicts to face in order to find their true place and purpose in the world. That’s what good drama is all about.”

The national media initiative was set up to encourage responsible, accurate, authentic and sensitive representation or portrayals of mental illness and suicide by the Australian mass media, working with universities for journalism and communications education, mental health organisations, police and courts, and stage and screen.

Funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Health under the National Suicide Prevention Program, the program is managed by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health to provide activities including national leadership, resource development and national dissemination, and ongoing contribution to the evidence base in the area.

Photos of the event can be found here

More information about Mindframe, including media resources can be found here