Elevating Queer Disabled experiences Are you a Queer Disabled content creator or artist, aged between 18 and 27 and living in the UK? Get involved with YoungMinds by working with us to create digital content that shares and celebrates your stories and experiences, to support Queer Disabled young people with their mental health.Top of Form About this project Both public data and insight from young people tells us that Disabled young people are more disproportionately affected by mental health struggles. Additionally, for Queer Disabled young people, homophobia and transphobia will make their experience of mental health far more complex. This project is about us passing the mic to Queer Disabled creators to create authentic content that will be posted on our social media channels and website, to support Queer Disabled young people with their mental health. Who are we looking for? We are looking to commission up to five Queer Disabled content creators or artists. You'll produce social-first content that shares your stories and experiences under the theme 'Celebrate what makes you, YOU.' To apply, you must be aged between 18 and 27 and live in the UK. How to apply To apply, please send us a short proposal with the following information: * Your preferred name * Your age * An idea for a piece/s of content or art you can create that responds to the themes we've highlighted * Explain why you chose this idea * If possible, provide an example of a similar piece of content you’ve created in the past * Your social media handles * Roughly how long this piece of content or art will take for you to deliver You can send this to us in the following formats: * Word document or equivalent * PowerPoint or equivalent * a voice note or video The application deadline is 11.59pm on the 13 October 2024.  Please do let us know if you'd like to apply but feel that you'll need a slight extension, factoring in your health. Email your proposal and/or questions to Yasin, the Senior Digital Inclusive Content Officer at: yasin.hassan@youngminds.org.uk. We will review all proposals and are aiming to get back to all applicants by the end of October. It’s unlikely that we will be able to take every application forward due to our resources and capacity. We’re really looking forward to receiving your proposal and potentially working with you on this project! Who can apply? Below we have outlined some important information about eligibility criteria for this project. Please read this carefully. * You must be aged between 18 and 27 and live in the UK. * You don't need to have a big following but will need to show that you're able to deliver social-first content. * We welcome interest from creators of all backgrounds but are especially interested in hearing from Black and Asian creators or artists, whose stories are underrepresented. * All commissioned artists and content creators are responsible for paying their own tax and National Insurance contributions. * We’re hoping to receive your content between January and March 2025. Accessibility support We want to be as accommodating as possible throughout this entire process. If you have any accessibility requirements, please do not hesitate to share those with us, and we will address them as soon as we can. If you require this page in another format or language, just let us know and we will get that sent over to you as soon as possible.   Whatever you need, our team are on hand to support you throughout this entire project. If you have any questions, please email Yasin, the Senior Digital Inclusive Content Officer at: yasin.hassan@youngminds.org.uk.  What type of content are we looking for? The theme for this content is: 'Celebrate what makes you, YOU'. We chose this theme to reflect young people’s desire to make space for joy and to authentically represent their experiences. Anything you create could reflect on your own mental health journey, joy and celebration, identity or anything you think would help Queer Disabled young people feel supported with their mental health. Although the theme focuses on celebration, we know it’s also important for Queer Disabled young people to hear about what people are going through, and that includes the downs as well as the ups. So, you may also want to share the more difficult kinds of experiences, challenges, and honest stories that you are comfortable sharing. Take a look below for more information on the type of content we're looking for. Content that celebrates every part of your identity Content that Queer Disabled young people can relate to Content that is honest and real Here are some ‘thought starters’ for content you could create: TikTok or Instagram storytelling video For example, speaking about a specific topic while doing an activity.  British Sign Language videos (BSL) For example, speaking about a particular experience or sharing some advice using BSL.  A day in your life For example, A video sharing a day in your life. Come on our podcast Join us for an episode of our podcast alongside other Queer Disabled creators. Creative expression (video or artwork piece) For example, a spoken word video, rap or dance. Creative expression (written) Write or tell a story about your personal experience or through a fictional story. This is not a prescriptive list but is simply a mix of ideas that might give you some inspiration. Your content style might not be reflected here, and that’s completely ok. We would still love to hear your ideas. Here's what Disabled young people have told us they want to see: Authentic representation of Disabled people Different parts of their identity being celebrated Content that highlights the fluctuating nature of having a disability Our recent project with Black Disabled creators and artists We recently passed the mic to 12 amazing young Black Disabled creators and artists. We wanted to celebrate their stories, platform their experiences and support Black Disabled young people across the UK with their mental health.  But we want to build on this. This project is part of our ongoing commitment to deliver content that supports Disabled young people.