Our vision

Detail: Konrad Winkler, Julie, Isabella and Charlotte, 1999, photograph, 20x29 cm

'To become a centre of excellence in the exploration of creativity and mental illness by providing local and international leadership in the study of human psychological experience through art and other related creative endeavours'

The Dax Centre believes that art is a powerful and important vehicle for promoting mental health and wellbeing. From creating to viewing art, creative engagement helps stimulate new ideas, interesting conversations, and new ways of understanding the world. Moreover, it helps improve individual and community wellbeing: creating artworks provides the opportunity for self-expression and exploration, and viewing artworks can generate insights and inspiration. Overall, it helps bring meaning and purpose to people's lives.

The Dax Centre is guided by the pioneering work of Dr Eric Cunningham Dax, who established art therapy as a way of working with people experiencing mental illness and/or emotional trauma. His innovative approach has left an invaluable legacy, and art therapy is now understood to have enormous mental and emotional health benefits.

Over the past 10 years, the Dax Centre has embraced Dr Dax's approach by promoting the importance of creativity to help encourage mental and emotional wellbeing among those who have experienced mental illness and/or emotional trauma. It aims to keep building on this exciting work by encouraging creativity for wellbeing in the general community.

This is important work. Mental illness is one of the most significant health issues today: it affects 20% of Australians at some stage in their lives, which leads to huge social and economic burdens on individuals, families and communities. Inadequate resources, support services and treatments lead to unnecessary pain for people experiencing mental illness and/or emotional trauma. While there are effective ways of working to support people through these experiences, such as counselling and medication, the Dax Centre believes it is necessary to complement this work with more creative and innovative therapies. Art therapy not only assists in recovery and long-term wellbeing, its life-affirming approach provides relief from the often alienating world of medical treatment.