On World Mental Health Day next year (October 10), Screen Well will hold an inaugural awards program, designed to recognise and celebrate wellbeing initiatives and innovations in the screen industry.
Screen Well co-founder Ben Steel said the awards were a further step for the organisation, which officially launched in March to address ongoing mental health challenges facing screen businesses and practitioners via sector-specific resources, training and initiatives.
“The Screen Well Awards build on the work we are already doing in strengthening mental health awareness, reducing stigma, building skills and increasing support; with our big picture aim to help improve mental health outcomes for screen industry workers at all levels,” Steel said.
“However, the awards aren’t about Screen Well; they are about inspiring and recognising others in the screen industry that are doing incredible work to improve mental health and wellbeing.”
The awards will consist of three categories:
- Advocate of the Year: Recognises the impact of an individual who has shown great dedication to wellbeing in the industry
- Organisation or Production of the Year: Recognises the achievement of an organisation or production that has championed wellbeing in the workplace in the past 12 months.
- Innovation or Initiative of the Year: Celebrates an organisation or production that has introduced or applied a new and outstanding wellbeing innovation or initiative in the past 12 months.
Screen Well’s programs and initiatives were created in response to growing data and statistics that reveal poor mental health issues in the screen sector.
Entertainment Assist/Victoria University research from 2016 found that the collective Australian entertainment industry has twice as many suicide attempts, five times higher symptoms of depression and ten times higher symptoms of anxiety than the general population.
“The good news is that the industry is slowly starting to make changes, and we want to amplify the momentum in the screen sector through the Screen Well Awards,” Steel said.
“We want to lead the way for more conversations, recognition and inspiration around wellbeing in the screen industry.
“We encourage all organisations, productions and individuals in the screen industry to start dreaming up and implementing new initiatives, programs, and workshops in the next ten months, and then enter the awards so we can all share in your journey and accomplishment.”
Applications will open on International Day of Happiness, March 20 2023, to recognise the bright side of focusing on wellbeing. Applications will then close September 10, with the inaugural awards ceremony on World Mental Health Day, Tuesday October 10.
For more information on the Screen Well Awards, go to www.screenwell.com.au/awards or contact info@screenwell.com.au