National Film and Sound Archive / Organiser and Panel member

RESILIENCE – The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope.

Event Date: Apr 11 2018, 6pm
Event Location: National Film and Sound Archive
Kate's Role: Organiser and Panel member

We’re so excited to announce that The Hope Project is premiering RESILIENCE – The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope at the National Film and Sound Archive. The event includes a panel discussion following the screening of the documentary.

Purchase tickets to attend at through Eventbrite.

This incredible documentary directed by James Redford (son of Robert Redford) delves into the science of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences study) and a movement in the USA to treat and prevent Toxic Stress. Understanding this vital information informs outcomes from a public health perspective and impacts on many things from heart disease cancer to substance abuse, depression and behaviour.

The Hope Project has a mission to use the lived experience to create positive change. Lifting the consciousness of communities and tackling complex issues with new understanding and compassion is vital to change outcomes.

“we cannot tackle problems with the same level of consciousness that created them” – Albert Einstein

Panel Discussion

Following the screening of Resilience, there will be a panel discussion Hosted by Sheena Ireland.

Panel Members

Kate Seselja

Kate Seselja is using the lived experience to create change. Her 12 year struggle with gambling addiction to Poker Machines almost took her life. The passionate mum of 6 has turned her experience into a mission to educate, inspire and create change in the areas of advocacy in gambling reform and Founding The Hope Project to tackle proactive prevention of all struggles through programs focusing on emotional intelligence and resilience skill building. The Hope Project partners with UNAA to promote SDG#3 Good health and well being, Kate is also a World Kindness Australia Goodwill Ambassador and TEDx Speaker.

The Destruction of Shame

Our relationship with the vernacular used in addiction and mental health matters.

World Health Organisation lists mental health as the highest issue of concern in our modern cultures worldwide, this problem impacts so many, when we have more knowledge than ever before about health and wellbeing, so why has it come to this?

Our failure to understand the impacts of shame.

Neuroscience has proven the impacts of cognitive function on a person in an emotional state, however we have failed to see the collective damage of living in cultures promoting perfection whilst public shaming, blaming and judgement are rife.

The vernacular used by society re addiction and mental health is very negative and damaging. The AA mentality and disorder diagnosis culture breeds hopelessness and fuels shame. We as a society have moved so far away for our ability to see someone elses pain because we cannot even recognise or see our own.

We keep normalising and allowing harmful impacts to our wellbeing in an effort to avoid discomfort, the discomfort of growth.

Authenticity and Hope are the antidotes to shame and fear. In the talks I have given across Australia and Overseas one thing is clear. Speaking vulnerably about my experience with struggle and focusing on the growth and learning allows for others to do the same. The mental freedom from being connected to yourself is powerful, the liberation of shame and oppression is vital in a society that can tackle this global epidemic head on and embrace the freedom of being human on the other side.

Embracing positive vernacular like the tool AWAKE, helps self regulate and correct. Bridging the gap between the vast oceans of knowledge re health and wellbeing we have to offer our modern world and creating practical sustainable human beings

Bree Winchester

Bree Winchester began her career in the mid-90s pumping out front page news for Fairfax Media. Now, 23 years on, she’s a modern storyteller and content marketing expert who’s worked with some of the nation’s most high profile brands.

Bree currently heads up the lifestyle team at The Canberra Times and loves telling the stories of our capital across multiple digital platforms. Her body positivity piece, Love her body, reached over half a million Australians and was nominated for an Australian Sports Commission media award for best coverage of women in sport.

Just before her 40th birthday last November, Bree was diagnosed with panic disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. After 22 years on the road, she developed a driving phobia. “It’s like I was suddenly coward punched by my own brain. I was too stressed for too long and I broke myself,” she says.

Bree’s the first to admit she’s struggling – big time – with her new diagnoses and was initially too embarrassed to tell her employer about the drastic change in her mental health. But now she’s owning it – writing herself love letters, giving herself pep talks and leading each day with a self-care regime most people could never dream of.

Zack Bryers – ACT 2018 Young Australian of the Year

Zack has been a homeless teenager, a soldier in Afghanistan, a gridiron player for Australia, a Churchill Fellow, and an award winning youthworker. He has experienced domestic violence and homelessness, left home at 15, where he couch surfed and spent extended time on the streets, before he set a goal to join the army which turned his life around.

He fought in Afghanistan before post-traumatic stress disorder saw him medically discharged. So, Zack set himself another goal – to make the Australian gridiron team within 18 months.

Remarkably, he was playing in the World Cup in the United States within 17 months. He then trained as a youth worker, where he lead a multi award winning program and was awarded the 2015 ACT Outstanding Youthworker Award for his work helping at risk youth transform their lives.

Not one to stay idle, he was then awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate a research the “Cure Violence” approach to reducing gang related violence in at risk communities. Zack went to Chicago, Baltimore, New York and Rio De Janeiro and lived and worked in these underprivileged communities.

Zack was then awarded the ACT 2018 Young Australian of the Year Award. Zack believes that life is not about what you have done, but what you are doing.

Brendan Maher – R U OK?

Brendan Maher is the CEO of R U OK? – an organisation most well known for R U OK?Day, a national day of action committed to encouraging and equipping everyone to regularly and meaningfully ask “are you ok?”, of anyone who might be struggling with life.

Since the inaugural R U OK?Day in 2009, R U OK? has become one of Australia’s most well-known suicide prevention health promotion movements. In 2017, an estimated 78% of Australians were aware of R U OK? with half of those people engaging with the campaign in some form.

To help make real, lasting change in Australia, R U OK? has broadened their reach beyond a national day of action. Campaigns such as R U OK? at Work, R U OK? at School and R U OK? Afield (targeting FIFO/DIDO workers), are providing effective platforms to promote regular, meaningful conversations all year round.

Brendan is a passionate advocate for suicide prevention, and a former member of Lifeline Australia’s senior leadership team, where he spent six years before stepping into his current role at R U OK? in 2013.

Brendan leads a small, responsive, and dynamic team who are experts in community activation, social media and integrated marketing campaigns.

Host a screening

If you can’t make the premiere you can still get involved by hosting a screening at your organisation. Register your interest.