The Dax Centre

The Dax Centre is a museum with an archive of 15,000 plus items of art made by people with lived experience of mental health or psychological trauma. This collection, Cunningham Dax Collection, is the only heritage listed art collection in Victoria. It is unique and one of only three such collections in the world. The Dax Centre has a purpose built gallery space in which to exhibit a selection of this art.There are three semi-permanent exhibitions each year that are themed to look at various aspects of mental health and emotional wellbeing. These displays are used to bring more understanding and promote conversation of these topics through art which is accessible to the wide community. The Dax Centre is an organisation that conducts very rich and active learning programs which use its collections to augment understanding through all stages of schooling and beyond. It aims to impact by creating the space exploration of issues surrounding the experience of mental health and psychological trauma, and by doing so, reduce the associated stigma and mystery that perhaps occur. The Dax Centre is located in the grounds of the University of Melbourne and complements the many other art and cultural collections found there.