Drama students from across the Hunter gathered at Maitland Gaol yesterday for a playwriting workshop as part of the Hunter Institute of Mental Health’s annual MindPlay competition.

Now in its 19th year, the program is a drama competition that provides an accessible means for young people to explore mental health topics.

“Theatre is just so important in exploring these issues and it’s such a wonderful way of conveying and 

studying the issues and putting yourself in other people’s shoes,” Rutherford Technology High School student Lily Crockett, 16, said.

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The annual interactive workshop will feature two of Australia’s leading playwrights Suzie Miller and Caleb Lewis.

“Aside from helping the students with their plays these workshops are also about decoding the stigma associated with mental health,” Miller said. 

“And for these young minds, that’s a lot easier than it was about 10 or 20 years ago, but we are still challenging the perceptions of mental health and unravelling stereotypes that have been put into place for such a long time.”

This week – National Youth Week – beyondblue is calling for people to keep an eye on those struggling with a mental issue.

“Depression and anxiety are definitely the biggest mental health issues affecting young people today and there are more people suffering than you realise,” Rutherford Technology High School student Joshua Buscombe, 16, said.

“And that’s why something like MindPlay is so very important.”

This year MindPlay will be managed in partnership with headspace Maitland and is open to year 11 drama students across the Hunter Region. Auditions will be held in May.