It’s a devastating stat, but one a new R U OK? initiative is hoping to do something about.
With its four-step ‘ALEC’ checklist (Ask ‘are you OK?’, Listen, Encourage action and Check in) R U OK? inspires and empowers Australians to meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with those who may be struggling with life.
The public health promotion charity is inviting schools from across Australia to inspire their own conversations that count through their very first R U OK? National Student Art Competition.
Aimed at Year 7 and 8 students, learning how to support their peers and talk about how they feel is an important life lesson, so where better to start than in the classroom?
“It came about because a goal of mine, particularly in the education space, is to make sure that students and teachers are having these conversations and talking about mental health throughout the year,” Dr Hannah Brown, R U OK? Education and Young People Manager, tells EducationHQ.
“So, not just leaving it to one day in September on our on our R U OK? Day, but actually integrating it into the classroom."
Many students really express themselves through art, and while they might have trouble verbally expressing their feelings and experiences, put a coloured pencil or paint brush in their hand and what they can actually express in that way, Brown says, is “just amazing”.
“So that’s why we were thinking of art. And also, it’s just a different way to engage students,” she explains.
“We’ve got videos and lesson plans, and all of those types of things on our website, but, we were thinking ‘what’s a different way we can actually really get students involved? And ask them ‘what does an R U OK? conversation look like to you? And what does it mean to you?’ So that’s where it came from.”
Brown says the question being posed to competition entrants is, ‘what does an R U OK? conversation mean to you?’
“And that can really be anything,” she says.
“So it might have been a time when a friend was there for you, or when you were there for them. It might represent how a conversation makes them feel, going from sadness to happiness or not feeling lonely. And it could also just be them providing ideas of how they could support someone.
“So, it’s quite broad, we don’t want to limit them in any way, creatively, and they can basically do anything, the only submissions we’re not accepting are videos or sculptures – but apart from those, it can be anything.”
The organisation’s research has shown those who are exposed to the R U OK? campaign are up to six times more likely to reach out to someone who might be experiencing personal difficulties, compared to those not exposed to the campaign.
R U OK?'s Dr Hannah Brown says art has a unique ability to start conversations and foster understanding.
So why the focus on the Year 7 and 8 cohort? Brown says initially they were thinking of including all secondary school students, but because it’s the first time they’ve done a competition like this, they thought they’d perhaps select one cohort and “just see how it goes”.
“So Year 7 and 8s comprise one stage (of learning), and from feedback from teacher friends of mine, they said including two year levels might be easier for schools who teach in stages, rather than year groups.
“And also Year 7 and 8s most often do art, they have art class as part of their curriculum, whereas the older classes, it’s more of an elective.”
Brown says at this stage they might expand it to include a broader student age range, “but we’ll just see the number of applications and how this year goes”.
Entries are limited to two per school and prizes include art supplies and for winners, an invitation to a prizegiving event at the Art Gallery of New South Wales where they will connect with other student winners and enjoy a private tour of the Archibald Prize Exhibition.
The prize includes the cost of flights and one nights’ accommodation for the student and their parent or guardian.
“We’ll have two winners from each state and territory, so there’ll be 16 finalists, and they’ll each receive an art supplies pack – with pencils, paints and beautiful notebooks and so on, and they’ll also receive an R U OK? merch pack,” Brown says.
“And then from these 16 finalists we’ll choose five ‘creative legends’ - so they’re our overall winners, and we’ll be flying them to Sydney.”
Brown's own career path changed markedly as a result of the devastating impact a friend’s mental health struggles can result in.
“My PhD was actually Nutrition and Dietetics,” she says.
“I finished that in 2019 and was pretty much set on staying in academia in the nutrition and physical activity sector, but unfortunately I lost a close friend to suicide two weeks before submitting my PhD.
“After that happened, I thought ‘I need to get into mental health and suicide prevention’, so it became my mission to contribute in this space.
“You find a lot of people who work in the mental health and suicide prevention sector, often they have similar stories to that, they’ve been impacted in some way, so, yeah, I’m very, very passionate about helping young people, especially.”
To find out everything you need to know about the National Student Art Competition, including eligibility, closing date for entries, prizes etc, click here. Entries close on July 5.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Head to Health 1800 595 212
