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Stage and Screen NewsNews items by most recent date: 28-05-10 - Support for sensitive approaches to the portrayal of suicide on stage and screen The new Stage & Screen resources have been launched!10th October 2007
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Actors in character at the Mindframe Stage & Screen workshop titled "Mad, Bad, & Dangerous to Know", held at the National Screenwriters Conference in October 2007. |
The second workshop was held at the Sydney Theatre in November and was designed specifically for playwrights incorporating suicide or mental illness themes into onstage drama. The workshop was produced by the Stage & Screen playwrights team and brought together a group of 12 playwrights from a range of locations, genres and levels of experience as well as mental health consumers, carers and service providers to discuss the issues in the context of theatre. Consumers talked about some of their experiences with mental illness and the impact of stigma.
An integral aspect of the playwrights workshop was the inclusion of the Living Library. The Living Library works exactly like a normal library - readers come and borrow a "book" for a limited period of time. However, in a Living LIbrary, the books are human beings, and the books and readers enter into a personal dialogue. The books in the Living Library are people representing groups frequently confronted with prejudicues and steretypes, and how are often victims of discrimination or social exclusion; in this case, people with direct experience of mental illness. Books are able to reply to the readers' questions or not if they choose, and can even ask questions themselves.
Playwrights were allowed to borrow 4 books in 15 minute sessions. After the Living Library, the playwrights were then divided into small groups and invited to write or adapt a short scene incorporating some of the themes and issues that had been discussed in the Living Library. These scenes were then played out by professional actors.
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Workshop attendees look on as a group of playwrights prepare the actors for their scene. |
Many attendees commented that the workshop was a very worthwhile and interesting experience and commended the project team on their work.
Portrayal of mental illness on Aussie drama, Neighbours
26th March 2008
In October 2007, new print and web-based resources under Mindframe Stage and Screen were disseminated and promoted to Australian writers for film, television and theatre. Since the launch of the resources, project staff have conducted face-to-face briefings with story departments from some of Australia's most popular television dramas.
On Friday 21 March 2008, a character by the name of Samantha (played by Simone Buchanan) screened on Neighbours for the first time. This character, who will continue as part of the show for a fifteen week period, is a young lawyer living with the everyday realities of bipolar disorder.
The Neighbours story team have been briefed by the Mindframe project team on the importance of authentic portrayals of mental illness and introduced to the resource booklet and website. Neighbours have also consulted closely with SANE Australia, including a SANE speaker with direct experience of bipolar disorder.
As a member of the Australian audience, we would like to welcome your feedback on the storyline and character portrayal. You may send your feedback to Mindframe@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au or telephone (02) 4923 6780. Alternatively, you may contact the SANE Media Centre by visiting www.sane.org
For more information or advice on mental illness, you can contact SANE Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263) or helpline@sane.org.
Stories of hope and recovery
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, with the help of Oddcast, SPAN USA, Active Minds and a generous donation from Simpson's producer James L. Brooks, has launched its most exciting project to date - Lifeline Gallery: Stories of Hope and Recovery.
The Lifeline Gallery (www.lifelinegallery.org) uses speaking avatar products to enable suicide survivors, attempt survivors, and suicide prevention supporters to share their stories of hope and recovery. The compilation of stories illustrates the many ways in which suicide affects others and offers comfort to those who may be suffering alone.
The Lifeline Gallery allows people to share their story with thousands in an online forum that is engaging, interactive and therapeutic. These kinds of stories can be very useful to writers for film, television and theatre in developing storylines and characters involving suicide by providing accurate information on what it is like to experience the loss of a loved one to suicide or to experience suicidal ideation and behaviour.
If you have any questions about the gallery, please email lifelinegallery@mhaofnyc.org.
Mindframe Stage & Screen wins award
10th October 2008
Mindframe Stage & Screen was recently awarded an honourable mention in the Public Sector category of the Suicide Prevention Australia LIFE Awards 2008. The project team was awarded a certificate in acknowledgement of their specific contributions to promoting suicide prevention and awareness among the Australian film, television and theatre sectors, which are known to exert a powerful influence on community understanding of mental health, mental illness and suicide.
Mindframe Stage & Screen receives a second round of funding
12th January 2009
The project team are pleased to announce that Mindframe Stage & Screen will receive a small amount of funding from the Department of Health and Ageing in 2009. The funding will be for a 6-month period from mid-December 2008 until June 2009.
The project team look forward to engaging with scriptwriters and others involved in the film and television industry in 2009.
The current funding will cover the following strategies to be completed between now and June:
* Maintainence of the Mindframe Stage and Screen website;
* Further development of the Online Resource Library for scriptwriters;
* Further briefings with in-house story departments for Australian television series and serials;
* Briefings and meetings with funding bodies;
* Other promotion and dissemination through involvement in conferences etc.
Geoffrey Atherden awarded Member of the Order of Australia
6th February 2009
Scriptwriter and Australian Writers' Foundation President Geoffrey Atherden was recently made a member of the Order of Australia as part of Australia Day Honours. Atherden received the award in recognition for his service to the television industry as a scriptwriter and to the advancement of writers for performance.
Among his many acheivements, Geoffrey is best known for contributing to the iconic 70s television phenomenon The Aunty Jack Show and the hit television series Mother and Son, for which he has won numerous awards.
Geoffrey was instrumental in the development of the Mindframe Stage & Screen project and the team wish to congratulate him on all of his acheivements, including this most recent honour.
More information is available from the Australian Writers' Guild website: www.awg.com.au
Ground breaking new drama - INSIDE OUT
30th April 2009
What do you do when life abruptly turns you upside down, grabs your heart and squeezes it tight? When you need to find all the love, strength and resilience possible?
Inside Out, a ground breaking new drama written by award winning playwright Mary Rachel Brown, will premiere at the Seymour Centre from 13 May, 2009. It is an honest, courageous and compassionate journey into one young man’s mind; to the place where borders are shifting and battle lines are drawn; and into his mother’s struggle to maintain her loving relationship with her son, and somehow understand what is happening and to find a way to help.
Courageous, heartbreaking and yet surprisingly funny, Inside Out is a compelling story of love and insight, where realities collide and lives are transformed. It was awarded the prestigious 2008 Rodney Seaborn Playwright’s Award.
“riveting production…. a rollercoaster ride of uncertain tension, increasing awareness and rising empathy.... the audience is held spellbound… a production created with loving care and concern for its role as a messenger of social awareness... a dynamic and engrossing… Highly recommended”
- Peter Wilkins, The Canberra Times
Inside Out
when you think you know someone
by Mary Rachel Brown
With Tracy Mann and Lindsay Farris
Directed by Tom Healey
Set and Costume Design by Imogen Keen
Lighting Design by Nicholas Higgins
Sound Design by Kimmo Vennonen
Produced by Christine Dunstan
Date: May 13-30, 2009
Plays: Mon 6.30pm, Tues-Wed mat 11am, Wed-Fri 8pm, Sat 5pm & 8.30pm
Special post-performance forums available for some performances
Venue: Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre
Cnr City Road and Cleveland St, Chippendale
Tickets: Adults $45, Concessions $40, Carers + Special Groups $32,
School groups $25
Bookings: 02 9351 7940 or www.seymourcentre.com.au
Media Contact: Ian Phipps, IPpublicity, on 0419 977 649 or ian@ippublicity.com.au
Support for sensitive approaches to the portrayal of suicide on stage and screen
The Mindframe National Media Initiative, which provides advice to news and entertainment media as well as health and other professionals about portrayals of suicide and mental illness, has recently drawn attention to a new Australian research report.
The report is an updated independent critical review of national and international research evidence related to entertainment media, which indicates a continued need for caution due to the risk of copycat behaviour.
Mindframe Stage and Screen (managed by a partnership between the Hunter Institute of Mental Health, the Australian Writers’ Guild and SANE Australia) provides resources, contacts and advice to people involved in the development of Australian film, television and theatre to help inform sensitive, truthful and authentic portrayals of suicide and mental illness. Mindframe encourages scriptwriters to work collaboratively with the suicide prevention sector to ensure any portrayals of suicide are approached sensitively, especially since there is some evidence to support the potential risks. There is also a lack of significant research evidence to support positive benefits of portrayals of suicide.
An electronic copy of the report is available HERE.
A one-page summary of the report is available HERE.
If you have any enquiries about the resources and information provided by Mindframe Stage & Screen, or would like to make a contribution to our news section, please contact Amy Laybutt on (02) 4923 6787 or at Amy.Laybutt@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au