The Festival for Healthy Living (FHL) is celebrating its 15th anniversary today, on World Mental Health Day. The mental health promotion initiative was established by The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Mental Health service in 1998, and today the program celebrated its achievements over the past 15 years in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation of Australia.

What began as a small project in two schools to celebrate Mental Health Week has transformed into a comprehensive community development program that has involved more than 12,000 students, 8,000 parents and carers and 1,000 staff from over 140 schools in 29 Victorian communities.

Harry Gelber OAM, Manager of Community Development from the RCH Mental Health service, said the FHL program provides an exciting opportunity for schools to promote the wellbeing of their students and their school community, using performance and visual arts as tools.

“Through the FHL program students are enabled to explore every day issues that affect their emotional wellbeing in a spirit of creative problem solving, optimism and fun,” said Harry.

“Students create solution-focussed performance pieces, artwork and written work, facilitated by their teachers with the assistance of professional community artists and wellbeing staff.

Through public performances and exhibitions people in communities have the opportunity to view the creativity, learning and positive mental health messages from their children,” he said. 

As part of the 15th anniversary celebrations on World Mental Health Day school communities from across the state joined the FHL Statewide Coordination Team at the RCH for an event to celebrate resiliance, mental health and wellbeing. The event included performaces, workshops and guest speakers, including The Children’s Commissioner Megan Mitchell.

For further information on The Festival for Healthy Living head to: http://www.rch.org.au/fhl/