Be part of our Mind Matters art exhibition: submit your piece today!
Your health and wellbeing is the foundation for pretty much every other aspect of your life – including your study success. That’s why we put such a high priority on ensuring that you nurture yourself even while you study and work.
With the uncertainty of the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation, and the changes to everyday life that everyone is currently managing, it’s extra important to look after your health and wellbeing – especially your mental health – and that of your friends, family and peers.
We sum up the importance of mental health awareness in two small words: Mind Matters, which is our campaign to promote optimal mental health within the Deakin community and showcase the range of support available to students.
Share your creativity with us
Last year, our Mind Matters student art exhibition, featuring artwork inspired by or reflecting on mental health and wellbeing, was particularly popular. So in 2020 we’re again calling on students to submit a work of art that’s influenced by a personal mental health journey or comes from caring for someone with a mental health issue.
Art can be such a fantastic form of therapy, either to deal with personal struggles or to share feelings of joy, love, stress and despair. We want to showcase the amazing creative talents of our community in a space that helps to destigmatise mental health issues and inspires positive action.
And don’t be intimidated if you don’t paint or draw – we know that creativity comes in many forms. It might be a digital piece you’ve created, a poem you’ve written or a photo you’ve taken – we’re interested in any piece that inspires you to think about mental health or gives you comfort or hope. It might take you two months to complete an in-depth artwork that’s deeply personal, or two minutes to snap a scene that speaks to you without you even knowing why – we want it all!
To be part of our Mind Matters art exhibition, all you need to do is take a photo of a piece of your own artwork, complete the below form and upload by 5pm, Friday 3 July. Read on for the submission form, selection criteria and artwork specifications.
Photos of all selected pieces will be displayed during our Mind Matters week beginning Monday 3 August.
Selection criteria
Not all submitted entries may be included in the exhibition – a selection panel will determine the suitability of each piece. We’ll be using the following criteria to assess which pieces are included:
How well it gives voice to living with your own mental health issue or caring for someone who has a mental health issue.
How well it conveys the process of managing mental wellbeing.
How evocative and thought-provoking it is, without being offensive or distressing to the viewer.
Artwork specs
Artworks can be in any medium – for example, painting, drawing, mosaic, photo, computerised image, the written word (poem) or other art media that is suitable for photographic reproduction on a poster.
Original pieces of art will not be accepted. Submissions must be in the form of a high-resolution (300 dpi) photo of the artwork, with a file size of 9MB or less.
Submissions can be existing pieces or be created especially for this exhibition. You can choose to have your work displayed anonymously, although you will need to supply your name when you submit your art.
As part of the submission form, you will need to include a short statement (400 characters or less) that explains your overall vision and how it connects with the concept of mental health. It should include the medium/process used. This statement may be edited for clarity, length or tone.
Terms and conditions
Applicants can submit more than one submission, provided each entry has its own individual application form.
All entries must be suitable for publication; the design must not include any defamatory, offensive or unlawful content.
Entries must be entirely the applicant’s own original work and must not breach any copyright or third-party rights. Deakin will not be made liable for any non-original work submitted by the applicant.
How to submit
To take part in the art display, eligible participants are required to complete the application form located on this page and to submit their artwork as outlined above.
Entries close 5pm, Friday 3 July 2020.
Selection of artwork
Artwork will be selected by a panel of four independent people – two managers, Counselling and Psychological Support Services; Manager, Digital Presence and Communication, Division of Student Life; and a representative from the Faculty of Arts and Education – based on the selection criteria listed above. The shortlisted artwork will be announced on Monday 13 July and will be published on Deakin Life.
Deakin’s decision is final – no correspondence will be entered into. Deakin accepts no responsibility for late, lost or misdirected submissions or other communications. Submissions will be deemed void if forged, manipulated or tampered with in any way.
By submitting their artwork, applicants who meet the selection criteria consent to their artwork being published on the Deakin Life blog or social media channels if required.
Deakin reserves the right to cancel this expression of interest at any stage, or change any of the rules or procedures for any reason.
Applicants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when making a submission.
Privacy collection, use and disclosure statement
Deakin University complies with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic.) in its treatment of personal information. Entrants have a right to access their personal information held by the University. Requests for access to personal information are managed under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic.).
