Image: Mojo audience winners wearing bright colourful clothes Larissa MacFarlane; Steph; Raphael Kaleb.
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Schizy Inc makes space in the arts for people with schizophrenia and diverse experience of mental health.
We're based at Ross House, Melbourne (Australia) and SiDAS art studio at Abbotsford Convent, Collingwood. We hold art workshops and events in accessible venues, and over digital platforms Zoom, Youtube, Facebook. |
Image: Lots of people milling around indoors around a table with art. Man sitting at table shaking hands with man in black beanie.
Schizy Inc is one of the most consistent lived experience led arts organisations in the world. Established in Melbourne in 2008, our projects and events epitomise professionalism, arts advocacy and empowerment. Schizy Inc is a happy arts community and we produce the best public event in the entire world for World Schizophrenia Day (May 24).
Image: collage of stills from four films - hand drawing stick figures, three people seated on stage talking, person's face with cultural facial art, person singing passionately into a mic.
Schizy Inc. is living experience led, managed and informed. We're an incorporated, registered not-for-profit charity organisation with Deductible Tax Gift Recipient status. We align with United Nations social conventions on disability which states people aren't a problem to be fixed or cured, rather society needs to be more welcoming and accessible for diverse bodies and minds.
Want more intell? Keep reading.
Otherwise, check out the SiDAS and Mojo pages!
'Schizy Inc aren't art therapy'
Doing art is healing, for sure.
Yet our power as a modern cultural group is owning our voices, and expressing our stories with full agency. We believe your reality is more than a medical problem to be fixed.
Schizy Inc employs professional artists to run innovative workshops in visual art, writing, comedy, performing arts, filmmaking and arts business. We build real relationships with local arts organisations and venues. Schizy Inc advocates for access and inclusion around complex mental health and neurodivergence.
Schizy Inc build the kind of spaces that make you proud to have survived your past. You deserve respect.
Doing art is healing, for sure.
Yet our power as a modern cultural group is owning our voices, and expressing our stories with full agency. We believe your reality is more than a medical problem to be fixed.
Schizy Inc employs professional artists to run innovative workshops in visual art, writing, comedy, performing arts, filmmaking and arts business. We build real relationships with local arts organisations and venues. Schizy Inc advocates for access and inclusion around complex mental health and neurodivergence.
Schizy Inc build the kind of spaces that make you proud to have survived your past. You deserve respect.
Image: Three people on Zoom gallery screen. Woman in grey top top left with thumbs up, smiling man in front of bookshelf top right, smiling woman with long brown hair bottom middle. Text 'Schizy Speaks #1 Heidi Everett, Sandy Jeffs, Greg Ralls.
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Background of Schizy Inc.
Schizy Inc started in 2008 by psychiatric system user, Heidi Everett. Heidi spent many years in psycho-social rehabilitation groups and saw first-hand the need for gathering spaces that respected and empowered people rather than just treating people like her as patients with mental illness needing support to socialise. The first Schizy Week event in 2010 was a 'Hot Dog Parade' in a Melbourne park during mental health week and featured companion dogs strutting handmade fashions down the runway. |
Image: Smiling woman with light brown hair and grey top in front of tree.
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Image: Two laughing women on stage. Woman in red beanie on left holding a guitar and woman on right in flowery brown trousers talking into a microphone.
Heidi's primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, initially led to a discovery around the lack of meaningful activities during Schizophrenia Week (May). Heidi was practicing as a musician so the two were put together and Schizy Week Jam was born at a small live music venue in North Melbourne in 2012 with the help from some muso mates, schizy friends and supporters.
The event continued every year and featured bands and performers with living experience of diverse mental health. The 'One Love international Jam' became the most iconic part of the event. Musicians with lived experience from Melbourne, the US, Canada, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and New Zealand, jammed on the big screen with muso's on stage, with a cover of Bob Marley's song One Love.
The event continued every year and featured bands and performers with living experience of diverse mental health. The 'One Love international Jam' became the most iconic part of the event. Musicians with lived experience from Melbourne, the US, Canada, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and New Zealand, jammed on the big screen with muso's on stage, with a cover of Bob Marley's song One Love.
Image: Many people on stage at Northcote Social Club venue. People in audience clapping. Video of Schizy Week Jam on screen.
Since then, Schizy Inc has diversified an arts platform to include all story-arts, including illustration, film, stand up comedy, writing, nature-based creativity, visual arts, as well as personal and community empowerment development. We presented Mojo Film Festival, creating new opportunities for people to make and show short films. This is a response to the reality that people with schizophrenia are most often considered interesting content for non-disabled filmmakers than empowered with skills to make films.
In 2021 with support from Creative Victoria, Schizy Inc opened Australia's first mental health disability led and managed art studio, SiDAS. The studio is situated at arguably one of the best and most beautiful arts precincts in the country, Abbotsford Convent.
From 2017, Schizy Inc has delivered the only public schizophrenia week event in Victoria, if not Australia. Schizy Inc now run events and projects all through the year, in real life, online and in collaboration with other arts organisations, and are steered by a committee, large membership base and allied mentors.
In 2021 with support from Creative Victoria, Schizy Inc opened Australia's first mental health disability led and managed art studio, SiDAS. The studio is situated at arguably one of the best and most beautiful arts precincts in the country, Abbotsford Convent.
From 2017, Schizy Inc has delivered the only public schizophrenia week event in Victoria, if not Australia. Schizy Inc now run events and projects all through the year, in real life, online and in collaboration with other arts organisations, and are steered by a committee, large membership base and allied mentors.
Image: two smiling women standing in front of colourful artworks on black wall.
Schizy Inc is a registered tax deductible charity with the Australian Charities & Not For Profit Commission. We are managed by a committee of lived experience artist advocates, with support from governance mentors and arts sector allies. We are not a mental health support service but do encourage people to seek out medical support.
