Exercise and art for mental health

WALK FOR MENTAL HEALTH in Mental Health Week

Join Uniting Communities who are holding Tortoise and Hare – the Stress Less Walk at 10.30am on Tuesday 9 October. The route for the walk is along the River Torrens from the weir to the zoo then back to Elder Park to eat lunch (bring your own).

Another walk is coming up from 11am - 2pm on Sunday 21 October at Morialta Conservation Park. This will be a guided walk of around 45 minutes, demonstrating the benefits of exercise and contact with nature.

ART FOR MENTAL HEALTH in Mental Health Week

The Big Circle Art Exhibition Trail is at 15 locations. Exhibition openings will occur at the Box Factory Community Centre, North Adelaide Community Centre, Neami at Golden Grove Arts Centre and MIFSA at the Hamra Centre. The Adelaide City Council Exhibitions at the Box Factory and at the North Adelaide Community Centres will include works by artists living with a disability. There will be awards at each of these exhibitions in the categories of:  Expression, Experimentation, Technical Skill, Wild Card and Peoples Choice. The Box Factory event will be a mixed arts evening called The Knack, showcasing the talents of performers, display short digital stories and themes.

Kylie Harrison's comedy show, Psychosis can be a funny thing, is at the Mercury Cinema, 7.30pm on Friday 12 October with entry by gold coin donation. Kylie is a community peer worker with Life Without Barriers and a freelance writer.

The Open your Mind poetry competition, now in its fifth year, will be held on Thursday 11 October at the SA Writers Centre with the winning poems from the competition being turned into art by artist and ticket writer Sue Morrizi.

This year Grow SA and mindshare are jointly promoting Odd Socks Day on Friday 12 October. Everyone is invited to wear odd socks to school or work and to donate a gold coin for their participation to raise funds for GROW ’s Get Growing Youth program. There will be prizes for the best photos of sock combinations - place them on line at the Odd Socks Blog.

The Messenger is running personal stories on mental health issues and Mental Health Week events in their 11 metropolitan papers leading in to Mental Health Week.

mindshare is a source of inspiration with stories, blogs, creative writing, short films, art work and photography and discussion forums. Take a look at creative content contributed by artists who have experienced mental illness.