Red River College and Art With Impact offer Movies for Mental Health, a workshop to help end the stigma.

By Emily Hart

Red River College students have a chance to talk about the stigma surrounding mental health and see it in a new way – literally.

Movies for Mental Health will be showing three short films in partnership with Art With Impact. The non-profit focuses on organizing art-based workshops for students with a goal to create awareness and understanding of what it’s like for those who struggle with mental illness.

The event will be held on October 8th at the Notre Dame Campus from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and October 9th at the Exchange District Campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Breanna Sawatzky, 37, is the Mental Health Coordinator for Red River College. She said it’s been hard to get students involved because the workshop is two hours long and runs during scheduled classes.

Sawatzky said that finding students to share their stories has proven to be the toughest part of organizing the workshop, but when they do it’s a benefit.

“We increased knowledge on resources and found that the students who attended were more likely to reach out when they needed support,” Sawatzky said.

Promotional posters for the events courtesy of Art With Impact.

Nick Sawchyn, a 25-year-old Digital Media Design student at the Exchange District Campus, said he would like to see more events focused on mental health awareness.  

“The only other one I see is the Bell Let’s Talk,” said Sawchyn.

Sawchyn said he thinks more advertisement for the workshop would attract more students.

Blake Borton, a 20-year-old Business Administrative student at the Notre Dame Campus, said the event seems “pretty cool,” but also said he would like to see more promotion done.

“It would be easier to end the stigma if we talked about it more often,” said Borton.

You can see posters for the workshop on the NDC and EDC campuses and find more information here: https://www.rrc.ca/wellness/2019/09/19/movies-for-mental-health/.

Volunteers for the event are still needed. If interested, contact Breanne Sawatzky at blsawatzky@rrc.ca.