jovoto / Face Depression! / Deutsche Bahn Stiftung GmbH / Briefing

Put depression into the right perspective!

Background

The problem
Depression is one of the most common and, in terms of its severity, most underestimated illnesses. In Germany one out of five people suffer from depression at least once in their lives. In total, currently approx. four million people in this country are suffering from depression that requires treatment, of which, however, only the minority receive the optimum therapy. The reasons for this are varied: a lack of hope, shame, anxiousness, the trivialization of symptoms in combination with not having the motivation to get help on the part of the patients – as well as diagnostic and therapeutic deficits and care deficits on the part of the health system and a general underestimation of the severity and stigmatization of the illness.

Deutsche Bahn Stiftung (Deutsche Bahn Foundation)
The Deutsche Bahn Foundation was established in 2013 in order to pool and further develop the charitable commitment of DB AG. In addition to its wide-ranging involvement in the sectors of integration and welfare, education and culture, climate, conservation and catastrophe aid, the foundation also promotes the Stiftung Deutsche Depressionshilfe (German Depression Foundation).

The Deutsche Bahn Foundation is the first corporate foundation dedicated to the subject of depression and mental health.

Stiftung Deutsche Depressionshilfe (German Depression Foundation)
The German Depression Foundation (or SDD for short) is a non-profit organization, whose aim is to improve the situation of people suffering from depression. The focus of the foundation’s work is on national and community-based regional programs with the goal of improving the care of those with depression as well as suicide prevention, the training of doctors and medical professionals, empowering people to help themselves and developing healthcare-related research. With financial support from the Deutsche Bahn Foundation, in 2014 the SDD is developing the “Forschungszentrum Depression” (Depression Research Center), which deals with topics that are directly or indirectly important for the improved care of patients with depressive disorders as an independent non-pharmaceutical body.

European Depression Day
“European Depression Day” has been taking place throughout Europe since 1994. Its aim is to improve people’s knowledge of depression as a widespread illness and thereby also improve the possibility of early diagnosis. Awareness-raising events and campaigns also aim to help bring sufferers out of their emotional and social isolation, to help relatives and friends develop a greater understanding of the illness and break down society’s fears and the associated stigmatization of those affected.

Aim

Depression is an illness like many others. On the one hand, society often dismisses it as an anxiety disorder, and on the other as an “emotional” illness or a “modern” illness with ideological and metaphysical connotations. There is a great need for factual information. The aim is to highlight the topic of “depression” as an illness that can happen to anyone and should not be seen as a personal failure. This should be linked with the positive message that the illness can be treated. With more knowledge about the illness and the possible therapy options, a lot of people can be spared a great deal of suffering.

Task Definition

Find an artistic expression for the subject of depression.

We are looking for purely artistic (and not promotional or advertising-style!) images that give people the courage to admit they are suffering from depression, and encourage them to deal with it and seek help. We are not looking for images that merely depict the dark sides of the illness.

You have absolute free rein in the artistic technique you use to create your image: a picture drawn by hand or created on the computer is just as welcome as a photograph.

1. Original winning images will be auctioned off
There are plans to auction off the jury’s winning images at a large auction event on European Depression Day on 1.10.2014. The proceeds will be donated to the fight against depression. It is therefore important that your image is available as a high-quality original in at least A1 format, or that it can be printed as a high-quality print (at least 300 dpi).

2. Further uses of your image
To ensure that, beyond the auction, your image can be used in the greatest variety of ways possible, suggestions as to how it can be used in additional media are very welcome. Possible uses include postcards, bags or similar, which should also have an artistic value and not just be eye-catching promotional visuals for the Deutsche Bahn Foundation or the German Depression Foundation. At the most their logos should therefore be used here discreetly.

Target Group

The general public
Doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists as the contact partners, confidants and consultants of people suffering from depression.

Tonality

Your visual should:

take the subject of depression seriously and treat it with respect
be optimistic and hopeful
not be kitschy or sentimental

We are excited to see whether the subject can also be approached with respectful humor.

Mandatory requirements

Your work must:

be available in min. A1 format in the original
or printable as a high-quality print (at least 300dpi) in A1

The following elements should be avoided in your visuals:

Railways
Violence
Suicide

So your visual can also be used on postcards or similar, the logos of the Deutsche Bahn Foundation and the German Depression Foundation should, at the most, appear discreetly as the companies behind the foundations.

Useful links

Download material

Click on the following links to download working material and additional information related to the project.

Halftime Feedback

Dear All,

with an awesome view over berlin, from the 23floor of the DB tower, we had a very fruitful and engaged Jury meeting.

First of all, a big thank you from the Jury! Presenting almost all ideas to them in a packed keynote, they valued your huge participation, some outstanding artworks, a lot of effort some of you spend as well as the different approaches of trying to understand and visualize this meaningful task!

For the second half of the project here are some directions as the summary of the most import and feedback for you:

• Please make sure your artwork is self-explaining. Keep in mind its about artworks not ads – the jury’s winning artworks should be auctioned off at a large auction event on European Depression Day on 1.10.2014.

• Text elements can be part of an artwork – but should not be headlines or explain the artwork.
Please make sure to present one version of your artwork without headlines and logos to get a clear picture until the final Jury meeting.

• As many of you understood right, keep in mind your artwork should not just visualize depression and how depression feels – it should work in a positive direction with a positive message that the illness can be treated.

• The positive direction and metaphor your artwork should try to implement should not banalise depression. Its still a serious and underestimated illnesses, that can not be healed with "just be happy".

• When you start creating your artworks please try to get as professional as you can. Just a photoshop filter and text might not be enough for artworks that should be auctioned.

• The final Jury meeting will take place quickly after the submission deadline. The auction event itself will be on the 1.10.2014 and everything needs to be prepared in time. So please make sure that you will be able to provide your artwork ready to print in high resolution (DIN A1) quickly after the submission deadline, in case you will be a lucky jury winner!

Thanks again for being here and your great enthusiasm! – We are exited to see your meaningful pieces of fine art – about facing depression with a positive metaphor that the illness can be treated.

Yours
Jesko

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