Event description

MindLabs workshop: Keeping the Co in Co-design – an introduction to theory, practice, and methods

This online workshop will be presented over two half-day morning sessions on Tuesday the 25th & Wednesday the 26th of March 2025.  

Employees or staff of Mindgardens member organisations (UNSW, NeuRA, BDI, SESLHD) are able to purchase tickets at a discounted price using your work email and a discount code: CoDesign2025)

By purchasing tickets for this workshop, you will be registering for both days.

The workshop is for people who are interested in developing individual and/or organisational capability to engage in co-design projects relating to mental health, drug & alcohol and neurological disorders, and is open to people in a lived experience, clinical and/or research role.

Please note: MindLabs workshops are most successful when they include people from diverse roles, organisations and professional backgrounds. Occasionally we may need to defer individual applications to a later event in order to achieve this balance.

Workshop Content

Days 1 and 2: 

• co-design origins and approaches
• co-design values and principles
• understanding and addressing power
• fostering generative co-design spaces
• planning co-design workshops
• co-design methods
• evaluating co-design processes
• a practical session using an example co-design project

Workshop outcomes

As a result of completing the workshop, participants will be better able to:

1. Explain the origins and benefits of co-design in health services.
2. Apply co-design values and principles to planning and facilitating co-design activities.
3. Foster relational practices and work effectively with power.
4. Plan co-design activities using appropriate methods and processes.
5. Identify key considerations in evaluating co-design processes and events.

Workshop facilitators

Brett Bellingham is a lived experience educator, researcher and a peer support worker. Brett has interest and experience in co-design and co-produced approaches to education, service provision and research. Brett draws on experience, knowledge and connection with the consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement, community development practices and mad studies.

Kath Thorburn has 30 years’ experience as a mental health worker, educator, facilitator and consultant, as well as personal experience supporting close family members. Kath has been involved in co-designing  and co-producing a range of education, service provision and social action events and resources. Kath has formal qualifications in education and occupational therapy, and is currently a PhD candidate at UNSW researching a co-designed approach to improving mental health consumers’ physical health in primary care settings.

For information contact the MindLabs Team at mindlabs@mindgardens.org.au