Event: 2025 Program Launch
Date: Saturday 22nd February, 2025
Time: 2pm-4pm
Location: The Dax Centre, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville 

 At this exclusive launch, you’ll be among the first to experience a preview of our transformative 2025 programming.

 You’ll hear from a SANE Board Director, Luke Marshall, about our continued mission to break down stigma, and listen to a powerful message from a lived experience advocate who will share their personal journey and the impact of art on mental health.

 This event is more than just a preview—it’s an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for creating change, breaking down stigma, and using art to heal, challenge, and inspire. Your presence would mean the world to us as we take this next step together in supporting mental health through creativity.

Left Write Hook Documentary Screening & Panel Discussion

For eight survivors of childhood sexual abuse, a groundbreaking program combining boxing and creative writing, turns into a journey of recovery, transformation and friendship.

As a part of our She Who Persists exhibition programming, join us at The Dax Centre for a special screening of the incredibly moving documentary, Left Write Hook, followed by a panel discussion with the Shannon Owen (Film Director), Donna Lyon (Program Creator), and  Lauren Wraight and Julie (Program Participants). 

Film Synopsis:

Left Write Hook follows the journey of eight female and gender diverse survivors of childhood sexual abuse, who participate in an innovative recovery program combining the physicality of boxing with the emotional power of creative writing. Gaining a space to release their memories, reclaim their bodies and imagine new lives for themselves.

Through powerful participatory filmmaking and with unprecedented access, this documentary captures an amazing journey of self-discovery, resilience, recovery, transformation, and friendship, as they begin to regain agency and take back their power.

Left Write Hook offers audiences a profound understanding of what it means to be a victim-survivor today, and the power and strength that can come from connection and healing.

Date: Saturday 1 March 2025 

Time: 3-6pm 

Location: The Dax Centre & Kenneth Myer Auditorium, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC.

Tickets: $35

The screening and panel will be followed by refreshments in the gallery. We will also provide snacks during the film. 

Please be advised that the documentary and panel discussion will involve discussion of lived experience of abuse and lived experience of mental ill health.

Learn more about the Left Write Hook program:
Left Write Hook

Update from the Cunningham Dax Poetry Collection

We are excited to announce that Dr Jennifer Harrison, the manager of the Cunningham Dax Poetry Collection, presented at the

World Psychiatry Association Congress in the World Psychiatry Association’s Section for Art and Psychiatry, in Mexico City from the 14-17 November.

Dr Harrison’s presentation was entitled, “Ekphrasis: writing about art as a way of teaching mental health care.”

In the presentation, the art of ekphrasis is defined and its relevance for teaching high school students, students of art and literature, and students of psychology and medicine about mental health is explored. The work of The Dax Centre in Melbourne, The Cunningham Dax Collection and The Dax Poetry Collection will also be discussed as an example of an ekphrastic workshop.

In addition, Dr Harrison was published in the November 2024 edition of The Section of Philosophy and Humanities in Psychiatry Newsletter. Dr Harrison published both an article entitled Art and Psychiatryand a poem from her latest publication wOmen’s wOrk, which is currently shortlisted for the 2024 Alastair Reid Pamphlet Prize, UK.The article discusses the role of art and psychiatry and contains information on a new exhibition at the Dax Gallery, The Anxiety Project.

Read the article and poem here.

For more information on the Cunningham Dax Poetry Collection, please reach out to our team.

Missed out on this workshop? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter to hear about upcoming creative workshops at The Dax Centre! 

In The Anxiety Project panel included a discussion about the artist’s interest in how art practice interacts with a lived experience of anxiety and exploring how anxiety manifests and operates within the creative process. This panel discussion was a great opportunity to come together as a creative community for authentic discussion about the hurdles that anxiety creates, and how it can serve as fertile creative ground. 

Missed out on this workshop? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter to hear about upcoming creative workshops at The Dax Centre! 

In conjunction with The Anxiety Project, The Dax Centre and Jacqui Stockdale hosted a pocket zine workshop in November 2024

With the surrounding exhibition to inspire creativity and encourage reflection on anxiety and mental wellbeing, the workshop involved making a pocket zine out of paper materials. Following a tour of The Anxiety Project exhibition, workshop participants were led by Jacqui in drawing, painting and writing on their pocket zines. 

What is a pocket zine? 
A zine is a small booklet or ‘mini magazine’ - they are created with collage, drawing and writing.

Why make a pocket zine? 
In moments of stress or anxiety, it can be useful to have a tangible object to focus on to help ground you. In this workshop, you’ll create a zine for yourself or to gift someone, inspired by The Anxiety Project artworks. The small zine can be kept in your pocket and pulled out whenever needed!

Missed out on this workshop? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter to hear about upcoming creative workshops at The Dax Centre! 

Louise Meuwissen works with textiles and found materials to make intricate embroidered paintings, sculptures, installations and wearable art. Louise specializes in delivering relaxed, fun, craft-based workshops that celebrate our innate creativity, personal expression, and belief that making is for everyone. Louise’s previous workshops have been delivered with institutions such as the NGV, Bunjil Place, and Craft Victoria

We had an two incredibly successful workshops led by Louise Meuwissen, over two Saturdays in October, as our first public program run alongside She Who Persists.  

Louise guided workshop attendees through the process of creating an embroidered clothing patch to adorn a personal item, such as a tote bag, jacket, jeans, or even a cushion or blanket!

Using materials from Louise’s personal collection, attendees were be guided in the creation of their design, its translation to textiles, and learnt sewn embellishment techniques to create a unique piece inspired by She Who Persists. Louise spoke to her practice, and her experience in crafting’s capacity to facilitate mental wellbeing

The workshop presented a chance for attendees to connect with others in their community who enjoy craft and tour our current exhibition She Who Persists. 

Missed out on this workshop? Click here to subscribe to our newletter to hear about upcoming creative workshops at The Dax Centre with Louise and other artists!