If you a journalist or a creative person involved in mental health and wellbeing, you could be the winner of a monetary grant.
The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) is offering two grants, each valued up to $12,000 for successful applicants under its Out of the Blue Depression Awareness Campaign.
Applications close on September 24, 2010.
The campaign aims to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness, helping the Foundation to successfully execute its projects.
MHF Chief Executive Judi Clements said the grant scheme was a great opportunity for those involved in the profession.
“Investigation and exploration of an idea is just one of the opportunities that the New Zealand Mental Health Media Grant provides to its recipients. It also helps those completing the project to share their work and experience,” she said.
The Foundation launched the Grant Scheme in 2007 and since then more than 130 applications have been received, of which 30 were from journalists.
Ms Clements aid over the past three years, 11 creative projects have been benefited from the Grant.
These projects have covered art, music, theatre, film, creative writing and journalism.
“Apart from being successful on an individual basis, each recipient has made a unique contribution to decreasing stigma and discrimination and raising awareness around mental illness,” Ms Clements said.
“Grant projects have been particularly successful in challenging people’s perception of the experience of mental illness and the journey to recovery.”
Those sharing the success of the Project include Jessica Le Bas (‘Walking to Africa,’ a collection of poetry in 2007) Michelanne Forster (For her play, TIC TIC in 2009 – it premiered at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in Auckland).
There were six recipients in 2009, including Gareth Watkins of Wellington (Journalism), Yvonne O’Hara of Otago (Journalism) and Auckland based samRB, Stephen McCurdy and Michelanne Forster (Creative), and Graham Bishop of Dunedin (Creative)
www.mediagrants.org.nz or email: info@mediagrants.org.nz
