We are full of worlds that can't be contained by a pill

MAD Poetry 2021 saw the following activities delivered across Mental Health Month:

• 5 new lived experience commissions from Illawarra-South Coast poets
• Inaugural series of 4 free national online MAD Poetry workshops which sold out
• The first in-patient Zoom workshop held at the Wollongong Acute Adult Mental Health Ward
• A national callout to emerging lived-experience voices to submit their work as part of a new anthology Admissions led by David Stavanger, resulting in 140 submissions and the engagement of 2 lived experience editors Mohammad Awad and Radhiah Chowdhury to select 30 x poems
• New poetic film initiative in partnership with Survivors of Suicide and Friends releasing daily videos from 10-16 October 2021

The work produced and published this year for MAD Poetry is such a fantastic and well-rounded representation of the community that the project uplifts. There really isn't anything else like it in the poetry space in Australia.

~ Ruby Hillsmith, MAD Poetry 2021 commissioned poet

Film initiative with Survivors of Suicide & Friends

We were thrilled to deliver a very special partnered poetic film initiative as part of MAD Poetry 2021. Co-presented with our good friends at Survivors of Suicide & Friends we commissioned five original video poems from poets with a lived experience of mental health issues and suicidality alongside two special readings by Evelyn Araluen, all of which were released daily across Mental Health Week 2021 (10-16 October).

The aim of the MAD Poetry project is to share lived experiences of mental health via poetry. Therefore, some of the content may potentially trigger some readers. If you require mental health support or assistance, a list of free confidential 24/7 support lines can be found here. You are not alone in your journey.

MAD Poetry artwork by Rachel Wenona Guy. Logo design by Ogma Creative.