Art of the Minds aims to activate, educate and engage the Surf Coast and wider community to creatively manage mental health and wellbeing.
Our festival message throughout October and coinciding with National Mental Health Week, is aimed at reducing stigma and normalising the experience of mental illness across all ages and demographics of the population.
Art of the Minds is passionate about sharing resilience-focused messages by reinforcing through creative education platforms, that Hope is central to the recovery of all mental wellbeing challenges.
We focus on the importance of community connections, by attracting like-minded individuals to not only attend our events but also share positive lived experiences of mental wellbeing management.
Our 5 C’s! Celebrating Creative Community Conversations & Connections in mental wellbeing.
Our mission is realised through a week of interactive events across the Surf Coast Shire, where Art of The Minds fosters creative conversations through a festival showcasing both local and visiting artists, individuals, and groups.
The festival invites people of all ages to engage in creative, educational conversations about mental wellbeing, covering both personal management and support, as well as individual mental health.
Our signature events include:
Local creatives, services, and retail businesses play an integral role in fostering community participation in all activities, with a focus on attracting visitors to the region as well.
Art of The Minds has evolved into a powerful community conversation focused on mental wellbeing, connecting individuals across the Surf Coast and regional areas. This vibrant festival highlights the brilliant talents of local artists and fosters a week of inclusive, community-driven activities. From young to old, the festival unites people in a shared journey of creative expression and conversation.
At the heart of this event is the power of storytelling and sharing. Through diverse creative outlets such as theatre, song, visual arts, music, yoga, and sound, Art of The Minds encourages open dialogues about mental illness. It provides a safe space for individuals to express themselves, connect, and find solidarity.
A key aim of the festival is to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and offer support to those living with mental health challenges and their families and networks. By spotlighting personal stories and promoting empathetic conversations, Art of The Minds empowers the community to discuss mental health openly and to stand together in supporting one another on this important journey.
Join us in celebrating the strength, creativity, and resilience of our community. Through art and shared experience, we work to build understanding, reduce stigma, and support mental wellbeing for everyone.
Art of the Minds acknowledges evidence-based research in the planning of all events, with particular focus towards creative recovery. We strongly emphasise The Peer Support Model where a person with a lived experience shares a story in supporting a person experiencing a mental illness, or who maybe worsening. This has proven to be powerful in encouraging disclosure of symptoms and experiences people would ordinarily hide, and then be affected by. In recent years, the psychiatric hospitals and Mental Health services employ people with a lived experience who understand the Recovery Model of wellness, reflecting the growing awareness of the holistic factors in the Bio-psychosocial model of mental health cause, prevention and recovery.
The Arts has always stood as an excellent vehicle of expression for feelings and emotions that are sometimes difficult for people to discuss, especially considering the stigma associated with mental illness. Our festival creates a great sense of safety, and connection to others, as mental illness is an illness that can stifle voices and creates further isolation.
Our festival also educates participants about mental illness, as to recover from any illness, in this case a mental illness, one needs to know what you are recovering from in order to heal. Knowledge is power in Recovery.
Our education approach is not only enjoyable to the senses, but cultivates a cultural shift for our community that it is not only ok to experience a mental illness, there is hope in recovery and people to assist you in managing mental wellbeing creatively.