Central Queensland youth painting away the black dog thanks to
community fundraising
Central Queensland youth are painting away depression and anxiety thanks
to a community event which has raised more than $100,000 over five years
for mental health initiatives.
Since 2013, funds raised by
Rockhampton's annual Black Dog Ball, held in October to coincide with
Mental Health Week, have gone towards building suicide intervention
skills in rural communities. They have also funded specialist programs
for youth and teaching more than 1,000 people in the construction
industry peer support skills.
Funds from last year's event are
helping more than 300 young people paint a healthy future and meet
challenges like depression and anxiety through art – and it has happened
by accident.
Outback artist Sandy McLean donated a painting of a
black dog – naturally – to the ball's fundraising efforts. When
ball organisers visited the studio to view the painting and meet Ms
McLean, they also met one of her young students and found out about the
difference art had made to her life.
Debbie Hughes from the Black
Dog Ball committee said they were thrilled to have found their project
to fund in 2017. "Imagine how many more kids would benefit from
something similar?" Ms Hughes said. "So we decided to fund some art
programs so kids in central Queensland could come along – kids who've
become disengaged, suffered anxiety, who needed an outlet."
Ms
McLean said she tailored the lessons to every young person who came into
her studio. "The first thing I assess is how to make them feel
comfortable in the space, assess their levels of anxiety, and then they
either go straight into painting a picture, or they may draw, or I just
talk to them," she said. "I might spend the first hour talking to them,
to get a rapport with them and help them feel comfortable.
"Sometimes there might be six or eight kids who've never met each other
and they're all a bit scared but after a while, they're all laughing and
joking, and they say nice things to each other and about their art and
it's really wonderful.
"I just get such a buzz watching the way
they develop."
Ms Hughes said 209 children and young people had
already come through the program, with another 108 in classes until the
end of the month. "We've had great support from psychologists [and]
through other organisations like Anglicare [while] Carers Queensland
have referred quite a few kids through the program," she said. "She can
see the changes in the kids, which is fantastic. It makes us feel like
we're making a difference."
Ms McLean agreed there had been some
"amazing" changes in the young people who had come through the program.
"When I open the doors at four o'clock, they knock me down getting up
the stairs," she said. "They can come here and there's no pressure,
nobody's asking anything of them except that they enjoy what they're
doing and feel comfortable. Just watching that change in the child, from
being a frightened little thing with big eyes to being relaxed and
giving me a bit of cheek – that's what I love."
The funds from
this year's Black Dog Ball in October have been earmarked to support
Carers Queensland's work with people who are caring for a friend or
family member with mental illness, particularly young carers.
By
Jodie van de Wettering
20 April 2017
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-20/cq-youth-painting-away-the-black-dog-thanks-to-ball-fundraising/8458782
