Arts Contest Raises Awareness For Children's Mental Health In NH

CONCORD, NH — As mental health awareness month kicks off, the New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate announced a statewide expressive arts contest on Thursday that helps raise awareness about the experience of living with mental illness.

The Magnify Voices Expressive Arts contest was launched in 2019 as the flagship activity during Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month to highlight the need for improvement in the state’s children’s mental health system. More than 100 children have submitted art projects over the past two years as part of the initiative and this year’s contest will again offer students throughout New Hampshire the chance to participate in a variety of creative forums.

“Expression through the arts is one of the most healing activities for mental illness,” Moira O’Neill, the state’s child’s advocate, said in a statement issued by her office on Thursday. “And as much as it heals the artist, it takes us all on a journey of empathy and relief.”

As part of the contest, students in middle school and high school (grades 5-12) are encouraged to submit their own creative expressions about their own experiences or observations of mental health in New Hampshire. Options for the contest include creating a short film (two minutes or less), an original poem or essay (1,000 words or less), or a design or other creative expression through a painting, song, drawing or sculpture.

The art pieces will be displayed to help raise awareness, decrease the stigma or discrimination and to help affect change to endure that all children in New Hampshire can experience positive social and emotional growth, state officials said.

“While children have unique experiences, they need to know they are not alone,” O’Neill said in a news release. “By sharing their stories in creative ways, they can be heard. We are listening.”

The deadline for submitting entries is March 31 and cash prizes will be awarded by grade. A celebration event will take place in May. More information about the contest, including rules, may be found at the Magnify Voices website.