BIG LINEUP OF LOCAL MUSICIANS TO SUPPORT
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

“Winning Ways to Wellbeing” is the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, being held October 5-11, and local musicians are getting right behind it.

The line-up over two upcoming Auckland gigs, being held as part of the week, includes J. Williams, November Zulu, Fagan & the People, Karen Hunter, Zoh Zoh, Reb Fountain and more. This year’s theme seeks to make good mental health an issue for everyone, and asks us to think what we can do to support this goal. One in five New Zealanders this year will experience some form of mental illness, so making wellbeing a priority in our lives is important.  Wellbeing is a concept that has two main elements: feeling good and functioning well. Research has shown five winning ways that people can support their own wellbeing and that of the people around them: connect, be active, take notice, learn and give. Aucklanders can be entertained and support this theme at the two music events:

Oct Gig 09 An evening gig at Kings Arms, Newton, Auckland on Thursday 8 October from 8pm. Many of the performers have been involved with mental health promotion activities and bring their own personal experiences to their performance. One such musician, Trimz, firmly believes in giving back to the community. Trimz is an accomplished singer/songwriter, and is a regular volunteer at Te Whetu Tawhera (Mental Health Unit) at Auckland Hospital. Music and creativity crosses all communication barriers, promoting and supporting positive mental health recovery. The gig features George Henderson and Graham Humphries, Karen Hunter, Johnny Matteson, 4 1/2 Boys, Reb Fountain, Sandra Bell, The Literatti Performance Poets, Trimz, Johnny Angel, and special guests you won’t want to miss.

Click poster for Fiesta Photographs

Fiesta in the Park – World Mental Health Day A free family outing to celebrate World Mental Health Day held at Ponsonby Road’s Western Park on Saturday 10th October 10 to 1pm.   (Sunday if raining) The line-up includes J. Williams, November Zulu, Fagan& the People, Zoh Zoh, Reb Fountain, Anna Mac, The Ukulele Family Band, Teachukes and more. Fiesta in the Park will launch World Mental Health Day for Auckland. The day is a worldwide celebration for the whole family, promoting the importance of mental health as an integral part of overall wellbeing. There will be something for everyone: yoga, exercise and Tai Chi demonstrations, good food (or bring a picnic) and fiesta entertainment for the kids, as well as a wide range of health information. Mike Chunn, ex. Split Enz member and founder of Play It Strange, has kindly lent his support to the fiesta. The Mental Health Awareness Week organising committee – which comprises the Regional Consumers Network, Community Alcohol and Drugs Service, Mental Health Foundation, Pathways to Progress, Hapai Te Hauora Tapui – Maori Public Health, Toi Ora, Framework Trust, Supporting Families and Vakatautua – envisage this becoming an annual event for Auckland.

Review

This year we celebrated World Mental Health Awareness Day with a wonderful Fiesta in the Park Concert at Ponsonby’s Western Park. The world theme for this year promoted ways to maintain Wellbeing such as the value of community and friends, being active, taking on new learning and challenges, and the value of giving.
 
All these aspirations were met with the generous support of many people and community and businesses organizations. The organising committee, facilitated by the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, (and consisting of a wide representation of community Public and Mental Health, Addictions, Maori and Pacifika NGO Services) worked hard to bring together a wonderfully diverse Fiesta of performances and entertainment.

Mike Chunn kindly committed his time to the cause, and this helped link some of the artists and the support of the RockShop to the event. The Fiesta was launched Dr. Peter McGeorge, Mental Health Commissioner, and Lina Samu did a magnificent job as MC.
The crowd was warmed with beautiful performances by Annah Mac, Reb Fountain, The Ukelele Family Band, Zoh Zoh, November Zulu, The Teachukes, Fagan and the People and J. Williams who concluded the event with a high energy show accompanied by two hip hop dancers. There were also information tents on Mental Health Services, ASH and CADS. Tai Chi and Yoga demonstrations provided some physical dimensions  whilst spell bounding clowns circulated the park. 

This was our first Community Concert and we envisage this becoming a larger annual event resulting in greater awareness of the importance of mental health as an integral part of overall wellbeing. 

Click here for more photos

Watch our 5 minute video about MHAW for 2010

In Review

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme was to make good mental health an issue for everyone, and asked us to think about what we can do to support this goal. One in five New Zealanders this year will experience some form of mental illness, so making wellbeing a priority in our lives is important.  Wellbeing is a concept that has two main elements: feeling good and functioning well. Research has shown five winning ways that people can support their own wellbeing and that of the people around them: connect, be active, take notice, learn and give.

Click for photographs.

The Toi Ora Drama group “The Mind U” Theatre Troupe encompassed all these elements by traveling to Dargaville to perform at the “Glow in the Dark” evening to celebrate mental well being. The event was MC by Rob Hart and Mike King as special guest. The troupe wrote and performed two productions- Chorus line, which was devised for a hearing voices conference, and Ones Company- also a hearing voices concept- and as we discovered a wonderful play on words!

Media spokesperson for the Fiesta:
Lina Samu
LMLM Liaison Officer
Mental Health Foundation
09 300 7014

General enquiries:
Erwin van Asbeck
Manager
Toi Ora Live Art Trust