For Mental Health Week, the UTS Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion shines a spotlight on the gravity of racism on mental health and wellbeing. In partnership with the centre, Sydney designer and UTS alumni, Hannah Seeto is facilitating a workshop, Conversations About Our Culture. This is a solidarity and reflection space for People of Colour, as well as an awareness and educational experience for those who do not identify as a Person of Colour. It explores cultural identity, unconscious racism towards People of Colour and how it affects mental health and well-being. The workshop material is viewed through the lens of an Asian-Australian point of view, however the workshop is open to all cultures. A major aspect of cultural identity is how we perceive ourselves and our interactions with others in relation to racism. For those who have not experienced racism, the workshop will be a non-judgmental space to learn about the experiences of others and how we can become more conscious of our actions and choice of language.

There are two workshops (9:30 am - 12 pm and 1 pm - 3:30 pm). Please only choose one. Places are limited so please register early to avoid disappointment.

Each workshop includes:

Part 1: The conversation. Group discussion based on pre-work and reflection on cultural identity, racism and mental health.
Part 2: Creating the design objects. Participants will respond to and reflect on written prompts to collectively make design objects.
Digital pre-work booklet to be sent out to participants and completed before the workshop

Facilitator's bio: Hannah Seeto is a Sydney-based designer working at Digitas ANZ. She specialises in creating engaging digital, print and motion designs for some of Australia’s largest companies such as Toyota, McDonald’s and Tourism Australia. She graduated with First Class Honours in Visual Communication at the University of Technology Sydney in 2020. When she's not designing, she can be found sewing handmade hair accessories or running market stalls for her small business, Scruncheeto.

For more information, please contact Dr Elaine Laforteza on Elaine.Laforteza@uts.edu.au