The Girls Lead Initiative (GLI)

On September 19, Zoe and Kadee presented at Hawaiʻi FEAST. FEAST refers to a community dinner, at which attendees pay to join a catered reception, and a portion of that payment is set aside as a prize. While attendees eat, mingle, and imbibe, different artists showcase their work and explain their proposed public art project. After the presentations are over, attendees vote on the creative proposal they wish to award the prize. It’s win-win-win: Attendees enjoy a meal with friends, one artist (or group of artists) is awarded funding to put towards a public art project, and all presenters gain exposure and a rare networking opportunity (https://hawaiifeast.com/about/)
 
This FEAST was being held in partnership with Mental Health America of Hawaii to support mental health & community wellbeing. They send out a call to "artists of all mediums who were interested in presenting their ideas for using public art & creative advocacy as a tool to support mental health and wellbeing."
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Our proposed creative advocacy project entailed the screening of the short film “Pretty Good Start” to at least three youth groups and have the filmmakers facilitate a conversation right after the screening with their peers. We believe that the screening and talk story will bring people together for youth-driven conversations in informal community settings, and it hopes to engage affected youth while also connecting them to the local experts, resources, and organizations.
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“Pretty Good Start” is meant to address the general misconceptions and stereotypes of mental disorders like depression versus the actual realities of them and the effect they have on one’s personal and professional life. According to the depression and suicide education awareness program, I Need a Lighthouse, “Approximately 20 percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood”. With this vast amount of teens subject to depression, it’s a wonder that there are still so many who are unaware and unaccepting of someone with a mental disorder. Director Kadee Wauke explains, “I have been very active in raising awareness on depression, being able to tell a story about it through filmmaking was a more creative way than just doing so through a speech.”
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The proposal was extremely well-received, and Zoe and Kadee received several questions after the presentation and many FEAST attendees congratulated them afterward.