Art of the Minds nominated for regional award

SURF Coast mental health and wellbeing charity Art of the Minds has been nominated for this year’s Victorian Regional Achievement and Community Awards (VRACA).

The awards, founded in 2002, are designed to encourage, acknowledge and reward the valuable contributions that individuals, communities and businesses make throughout regional and rural Victoria.

Art of the Minds is a nominee in the Regional Development Victoria Leadership and Innovation Award.

From its origins in 2015 with Jules Haddock’s solo sculpture exhibition, Art of The Minds has evolved into a powerful community conversation centred on mental wellbeing, showcasing the brilliant talents of Surf Coast and regional artists, individuals and groups in a month full of community-based activities.

The project forges connections with all community members from young to old.

Through creative art-based conversations, ranging from theatre, song, visual arts, music, yoga, sound, sport events with a twist, and an exciting education event, the festival gives the community the right to talk about mental illness, and the responsibility to support one another in the journey.

Art of the Minds has beyond a one-week festival into running events throughout the entirety of October.

This coincides with National Mental Health Month in Australia, with the official Surf Coast Shire launch of World Mental Health Day being a part of Art of the Minds event calendar.

Nominations for all VRACA categories are now open and great prizes are up for grabs, with either $2,000 into an account in their name from Bank of Melbourne or airtime packages on PRIME7 for category winners. One of the nine category winners will be named the Bank of Melbourne Regional Achiever of the Year” and receive a further $2,000 and state trophy.

To submit a nomination, head to awardsaustralia.com/vicraca and select ‘Nominate Now’, or phone 9720 1638 and pass on the nominee’s details.