(2022) MAD Awards is a fictional award show that gives the stage to projects about mental health in diverse creative fields.

Has mental illness become an aesthetic? A fashion-trend? Does capitalism take advantage of mental health? How did design bring people together and improve mental health? As of 2020, the Academy Awards established representation and inclusion for Oscar eligibility, aiming for underrepresented groups to have a voice, including those with cognitive and physical illnesses. Indeed, mental illnesses are usually represented on the big screen but they are also usually misrepresented. So MAD, gives the stage to relevant projects on mental health in cinema, design, & art.

At MAD, awards are given regularly, not yearly, because mental health deserves to be debated daily. MAD is an award show, so it has it all: curtains, lights and a stage, but in MAD DM means dishonourable mentions. This investigation and project aim to open a conversation about glorifying and romanticizing mental health. A few designers that worked in mental health projects were interviewed during this research.