Wagga Wagga Community Mental Health/Drug & Alcohol Service 2 O Reilly Street PO Box 159 WAGGA WAGGA NSW 2650 Murrumbidgee Dramatic Minds Festival Short Story Competition Information Package Welcome to the Murrumbidgee! The Dramatic Minds Festival is a mental health promotion event which engages young people in a creative way to explore the issues associated with youth mental health. The students who have participated in the festival have reported an increase in their knowledge of mental illness and an improvement in attitudes to those with mental illness. The festival also establishes collaborative working partnerships between health and a diverse range of community organisations. This not only builds the capacity of key partners to detect emerging mental health disorders in young people but also strengthens the referral pathways to mental health services. This year the program has been expanded to include a short story competition. The competition is open to high school students in Years 7 to 9, and Years 10 to 12. The two best authors from each category will be selected to read their story at the Dramatic Minds Performance day on Wednesday 17 th September at the Kooringal High School Performing Arts Venue, 1 to 3pm. Key Dates 29 August 5 September 8 September 17 September Entries close Panel selects best two entries in each category Successful entrants notified Read story at the performance day We look forward to working with you in this fantastic mental health initiative. The Murrumbidgee Dramatic Minds is a Murrumbidgee Local Health District initiative. It is proudly run in partnership with the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program, Riverina headspace, the Department of Education and Community, Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW, Richmond PRA and Campbell Page. For more information or registration please contact: Kylee Brown Youth Mental Health Worker Community Mental Health Ph: 69235700 Email: kylee.brown@gsahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Murrumbidgee Dramatic Minds Festival Guidelines for Competition 1. High School Students are asked to write an original fiction or non-fiction short story consisting of 1000 words. 2. The theme of the story is to be about mental health and hope. 3. The entry needs to focus on Youth Mental Health Issues (Youth is defined as aged 12-25 years) and must highlight: Causes Occurrence (is common it?) Outcomes (is recovery possible?) Help-seeking behaviour (where to go? How to get help?) Hope Breaking down stigma. Entrants may like to use the following research tools: a. Reputable mental health websites, such as BeyondBlue, SANE Australia, The Black Dog Institute, headspace, Reach out etc., b. read books on the subject, c. interview anyone known with this, d. watch a DVD about this. 4. The two best entries in each category: Year 7 to 9, and Year 10 to 12 will be selected by a panel of judges. The entrants are invited to read their story at the Dramatic Minds Festival performance on Wednesday 17 th September between 1 and 3 pm. The entrants will also be invited to attend a brief rehearsal and sound check earlier on the same day. 5. The performance day will be video recorded and will be made available on our Facebook page. 6. Entries must be typed and in English. 7. Entries must be the entrant s own original work. 8. Entries must be received by Friday 29 th August 2014. Please submit your work as soon as you possibly can before this date. 9. We can only accept entry by email. Entrants should send a single email to: kylee.brown@gsahs.health.nsw.gov.au. The email should include an attached file for the entry form and a file for each entry. Please do not attach folders. Attachments should be compatible word files only.
10. Please name each file with the title of the entry. Do not put name, initials or anything that may identify you on any file except the entry form and in the subject bar. 11. If you cannot access email please phone Kylee on 6923 5700. 12. Successful entrants will be notified by Monday 8 th September 2014. If you have not heard by that date then you have not been successful. 13. The judges decision is final and we are not able to provide feedback on unsuccessful submissions. For further information, and to answer any queries, please contact: Kylee Brown Youth Mental Health Worker Community Mental Health 2 O Reilly Street Wagga Wagga Ph: 6923 5700 Kylee.brown@gsahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Suggested Topics for the Dramatic Minds Festival: * The topic can be any specific disorder or a general mental health theme: Specific Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or Conduct Disorder (CD) Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or Post Natal Depression (PND) Bipolar Disorder Schizophrenia or psychosis Dissociative Disorders Autism or Asperger s Disorder Eating Disorders: o Anorexia Nervosa o Bulimia Nervosa o Binge Eating Disorder Anxiety Disorders: o Social Anxiety o Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) o Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) o Panic disorder o Agoraphobia o Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Substance Use, including alcohol Adjustment Disorders Or General Mental Health Theme: Addiction Teenage suicide Self-harm Coping Bullying Cyber bullying Resilience Recovery Self-esteem Grief and loss Caring/helping/living with someone with a mental illness (e.g. family member or a friend). Helping and supporting a friend with a mental illness Mental health issues in rural areas Rural adversity (drought, flood, bushfires etc) Multicultural mental health issues Aboriginal mental health issues *If you have any other ideas/topics that are not on the above list, please run it first by the Dramatic Minds Festival Coordinator, Kylee Brown on 6923 5700. *
Murrumbidgee Short Story Competition Entry Form *To be completed and emailed to Kylee Brown Kylee.brown@gsahs.health.nsw.gov.au by Friday 29 th August 2014 Name:... Year at School:... Mail Address:... Phone Number:... E-mail Address:... I agree to participate in the. If selected, I agree to attend the technical day rehearsal and the performance day at Kooringal High Schools Performing Arts Venue (PAV). I agree to have my entry recorded and made available to the Dramatic Minds Steering Committee. I agree to have my recorded entry made available to the Dramatic Minds Facebook page. I agree that any written, audio or visual materials related to the Dramatic Minds Festival can be used for any future promotional purposes by the Dramatic Minds Steering Committee. I agree to be invited to complete de-identified questionnaires to evaluate the Dramatic Minds Festival. Parent/Guardian:... Date:...