The Big Anxiety began in Sydney in 2017, initially lauded as the biggest mental health and arts festival in the world, intended to remove the stigmatisation of mental health.

It arrives for the first time in Brisbane on February 2022 into an environment increasingly more aware of the need for mental health support and innovative mental health practice.

The two-day festival will see a range of programming which outlines creative and cultural approaches to mental health and trauma and seeks out how to rethink support and intervention systems.

The programming includes the use of interactive virtual reality, performances, creative workshops and talks.

Virtual reality (VR) programme Edge of the Present is a cutting-edge experimental VR programme for suicide prevention which uses virtual environments to increase hopefulness and improve mood.

Awkward Conversations is a conversation series curated by Daniele Constance which involves artists talking one-on-one with Constance, exploring lived experiences with mental health, including artists Tammy Law, Ruby Donohoe, Naavikaran, and Anisa Nandaula.

Over the course of the two days there will also be creative workshops including songwriting workshops, circus and live performance.

Events also include conversations and talks with leading clinicians, scientists, and therapists to share expertise and reimagine the future of mental health.

The ethos of the festival utilises arts spaces for their transformative potential but also using the arts as a mechanism to reach out to people who would not otherwise seek help.

Edge of the Present (Image: Jessica Maurer)

The Big Anxiety Founder and University of New South Wales Professor Jill Bennett said the festival examines how we can open our minds to think differently about mental health during the difficulties of the pandemic.

“The arts are the best means we have for sharing complex experiences and are also critical to the future of mental health where 65 per cent or more Australians with mental health concerns do not seek help and more than 50 per cent of those who suicide have not reached out for help,” Professor Bennett said.

“Raising awareness about mental health is not enough – we need new ways of thinking, imagining, feeling and acting and resources that are both practical and inspiring,” she said.

Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic said the arts unlocks the creative potential of our minds and opens up new avenues of being.

“The arts help us understand the world around us and are fundamental to human expression, wellbeing and recovery from mental illness,” he said.

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said arts and creativity play an important role in delivering positive health outcomes for Queenslanders, providing an outlet for expression and connection.

“Arts can help heal and evoke conversation, and through projects like The Big Anxiety Brisbane, the arts are providing an important platform for discussions around mental health,” Ms Enoch said.

“The Big Anxiety is supporting priorities to strengthen Queensland communities and drive social change across the state, which is why our government has supported the festival with $60,000 through the Queensland Arts Showcase Program.

“The Big Anxiety Brisbane is bringing together artists, mental health professionals and the public to participate in well-being experiences, while also supporting employment opportunities for the sector.”

The Big Anxiety Brisbane begins on 10 February 2022 and runs for two days at QUT Gardens Point.