Spookers - school holiday fun for the kids?

For several years I had promised my son a visit to Spookers, a horror-themed park in Karaka in the grounds of the former Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital.

Moreover, I had wanted to research Spookers for stigma associated with “mental illness”.  The occasion came for both when he and his friends arranged a 16th birthday event there.

I tried not to be the killjoy that they were expecting. I even bought the giant hypodermic needle in the souvenir shop, and the hypodermic-needle pen to show my participation in the theatre of it all. But I’m a little ashamed of my part in perpetuating stigmatising myths. All I can do is try to debate the ethics of the place.

Immediately, the link between the old asylum and “mental patient” is obvious, the context of the former institution makes this inevitable. The site entrance increases the tension with its uncannily familiar long driveway and tree-lined avenue, and the villas on either side. Decades of images of institutions are well-known to us through popular culture.

The entrance further evokes the monolithic institution. Here a dishevelled man sits muttering and looking threateningly at people queuing for tickets, his brain-surgery scar visible on his shaved head. He shuffles on his haunches and sits menacingly close, mumbling, drooling, and crouching with an ape-like, skulking demeanour. He shouts and pounces when people forget he is there.

Very large actors (I think they were actors) splattered with blood and ripped clothing chase and shriek at you through claustrophobic, paint-peeling concrete hallways. The labyrinth of corridors and doors, and wider “communal areas” all communicate institutions, hospitals, prisons, and asylums.

This visit confirmed for me that stigma associated with “mental illness” is re-emerging, alongside a dominant bio-medical approach to mental health. This parallels the resurrection of the “escaped mental patient” storyline in media and popular culture. 

These images both exacerbate and confirm ideas of “genetic fault” and work to corroborate “evidence” of dangerous sickness, crime and malingering.

Does Spookers reflect society’s fears and prejudices, or does it add to them?

The “escaped mental patient” character threatens unpredictable violence and cruelty, and is represented here in living colour and volume. This adds to, and derives from, the “monster” public enemy in media, movies, and television.  Spookers further affirms proposed links between violent crime and mental illness. Never mind proof to the contrary.

So did I enjoy myself? You bet; I love Gothic horror and have studied its stylistics and codings, in art and literature for the last 15 years. Spookers was fun in a “camp”, theatrical way; this is my dilemma.

I was saddened by the associations the old Kingseat Hospital affords, and that the attraction trades on people’s misfortunes. It abuses Kingseat’s notorious past and infamous history. I feel for the suffering and loss these places cause. If it were in an industrial area or other large commercial building on the fringe of town, Spookers would be less offensive to the memory of those who lived and died in Kingseat.

On the flipside, Spookers does serve the function, as Halloween horror often does, of laughing in the face of death, to make mock of our superstitions and irrational fears, to whistle in the dark of our unconscious fears. Right now, it serves the primal need to find scapegoats for a new generation who are ignorant of the asylum origin of the “escaped mental patient monster” from the past.

Dean Manley, National Manager, Like Minds, Like Mine

Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow

On the 24th November 2010, the Mental Health Foundation held a national mental health promotion workshop called ‘Flourishing for Everybody’. The event was well attended with over 100 people attending  from across the country.

We were able to secure a diverse range of presenters all of whom shared their thoughts on the flourishing message and how it applied to the work they do. 

First up was our own Hugh Norriss (Director of Policy and Development) who outlined the current research on flourishing and presented the two continua model of mental health developed by one of the lead international wellbeing researchers, Corey Keyes.

A GP willing to look at alternative therapies

Professor Bruce Arroll, Auckland GP and Head of General Practice and Primary Care at Auckland University, talked about some of the work he does with his patients. He discussed how medical doctors are trained to ‘fix’ but not to address ‘ache’ (which covers everything from ‘psychological ache’ and ‘heart ache’ to ‘job ache’), which in effect is what many patients present with. 

Professor Arroll talked about how he has integrated the use of gratitude diaries and mindfulness techniques into his practice.These have proven to be of great benefit to many of his patients who present with symptoms of depression. I found it refreshing to hear of a GP willing to try alternative therapies rather than habitually reaching for the prescription pad. 

Through the eyes of children

Lorraine Tarrant and Susan Scott from SKIP gave a wonderful presentation about the work they do, which is a very clear example of flourishing in action. I particularly enjoyed the video they showed called, I think, Children’s Voices. Here, with the freshness that only children can offer, were all the reasons needed to realise that working to achieve a society where all people flourish is a worthy and vitally important goal.  

From culture to cultivation

After a well-deserved morning tea, we heard from Dr Te Kani Kingi, from Massey University, who discussed the relevance of culture to mental health. One of the really interesting snippets I learnt from this presentation was that the word ‘culture’ comes from the Latin ‘to cultivate’ (seems kinda obvious when you consider it – think Petri dishes). Whether intentionally or not, Dr Kingi challenged us to consider the emerging mix and range of cultures that make up present day New Zealand and how these impact on our mental wellbeing. 

The great unconferencing experiment

After lunch we conducted our great experiment into unconferencing. All week prior to the hui the facilitators in this experiment had been ‘preparing’ to unconference by staring blankly at walls and whispering comments like “what the hell is unconferencing?” and “who’s line is it anyway?”.

In a nutshell unconferencing means that comments made by participants during the day determine the topics for discussion during the workshop sessions. We achieved this by placing post-it notes on the backs of the chairs of all participants, who diligently and courteously obliged by scribbling their comments and questions down and placing their notes on the ‘unconference board’. 

Then, while a leisurely lunch was enjoyed by most (with excellent entertainment provided by Java Dance Company), the facilitators were busily grouping all the comments into four broad themes. The themes explored were Values and Beliefs, Media, Society, and Culture. We then spent a couple of hours exploring these themes, with participants able to move between two or more workshop sessions.

As one of the facilitators, I am going to go out on a limb here and say the sessions were a great success with much absorbing discussion had by all. 

Eat your cake before you retire

To top the day off, Professor Grant Schofield, from AUT, gave a very interesting presentation about brain rules, the importance of keeping the body active, and pigs in Vanuatu. 

The bottom line of Professor Schofield’s  presentation?  Stay active, but don’t push it (rest regularly to avoid burnout), some stress is important for happiness and resilience, walk to work (that way you’ll avoid getting overly frustrated at a time of day when cortisol is naturally at its peak) keep the brain engaged, and don’t wait till you retire to do the things you most enjoy (eat your cake now!). 

Big thanks to the team!

All in all it was a great day, which generated much discussion and enthusiasm for what is an exciting time in the field of mental health promotion. 

The organising team deserves a huge pat on the back, and special mention goes to Ciarán Fox, one of the Foundation's mental health promoters, who did a fantastic job as MC. I imagine Ciarán’s house is covered in quotes – one of which rings in my ears and serves as a good little reminder of the ideal way for all of us to approach the work of creating a flourishing Aotearoa/New Zealand:

"Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow." – Norman Vincent Peale.


Grant Rix, Mental Health Promoter, Mental Health Foundation

PS: If you came to the workshop, please take a few minutes to fill in our survey. Thanks!