Quantock speaks up at mental health seminar

ROD Quantock brought a hilarious and occasionally revolutionary tone to a mental health education seminar held in Torquay North last week.

The comedian and writer was the keynote speaker at the Connected Communities event – part of the Art of the Minds Festival – which featured stories from people with lived experiences with mental illness and carers, researcher updates, workshops, stalls from service providers, and musical entertainment.

Mr Quantock spoke about how Australia was no longer an inclusive society and how that was having consequences, particularly to those working in the mental health system.

“I’m not here to encourage a revolution, but you spend all your time in the sector struggling. Is there anyone here who thinks they’re getting enough money? Of course not!

“We need to make the politicians accept that we have a crisis in this country.

“As Australians, we have become cruel, and hard, and vindictive, and people are suffering because of that.

“This is an increasingly inequitable society, and a lot of the problems have everything to do with that inequality.

“It’s getting to the point where the system will break; it’s all getting too hard.”

Perhaps contradicting his earlier comment, Mr Quantock then said “I’m sorry to have to put this burden on you, but you’ve got to overthrow the system”.

“Take every Friday afternoon off, get together in the tearoom, and plot your revolution.

“We’ve got to get people to understand the human cost and the human side of this, and the wonderful, wonderful people – and I’ve met hundreds of people with mental illness – who through no fault of their own find themselves pretty much in a ditch.”

Chief executive officer of genU Mike McKinstry congratulated the Art of the Minds team for organising the seminar.

“Mental health has been one of those things that’s sort of been in the background for many, many years, and to some extent, events like this and the support of the community and organisations and people like yourself is trying to bring that into the foreground.”