The Big Splash WA

Mental health is one of the top three most important issues for young Western Australians.

Four times as many young people now present to Emergency Departments with mental health crises including repeated self-injury and attempted suicide compared to five years ago. Clinical experts recognise that although exercise has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment strategy for mental health disorders, this is not currently reflected in treatment guidelines. Through The Big Splash WA we aim to change this.

The Big Splash WA

The Big Splash WA is a Wild in Art event that will take place in the streets, parks and public spaces of Perth and surrounds in 2017.

A huge pod of wildly colourful dolphin sculptures painted by local artists will swim into town as part of a mass public art exhibition to raise awareness and valuable funds for Perth Children’s Hospital’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit.

At the same time schools will have the opportunity to participate and have a smaller dolphin delivered to the school for them to paint. They will also receive a mental health education pack which is being compiled by clinical experts and provides ways for children to become actively engaged with their own mental health in an age appropriate manner. In developing this schools program a collaboration has been formed between a number of mental health and education organisations to ensure the correct content is delivered.