Project Brief

I have decided to embark on a photography project looking into the topic of mental illness and mental health. It is a topic that has had a lot of media coverage recently, from 'channel 4 goes mad' and their selection of documentaries on mental health and also more groups like 'Mind' and 'Rethink' become more popular and known about, challenging the stigma's attached to Mental Illness.

It's also for me, something close to home. The majority of my family suffer from mental illness such as depression, dementia and anxiety for a range of reasons from hereditary to environmental. Even I myself have been prescribed a course of anti depressants. Statistics reveal 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental illness, so it's more than likely that you too know someone who suffers. In fact the more I talk to my friends and people around me about the project, the more people reveal how they themselves or someone they know has a mental illness.

Therefore i think it would be a really interesting project to undergo, learning more about the topic as I talk to more people, and also learning more about the people. I want to focus on my family as each member deals with their situation differently, so it will be an eye opener for me too. My main aim is to not go anywhere near the cliche pictures of mental illness... not head in hands or teary eyes... These are real people, my family, and I want to portray them the way I see them and love them no matter what.