Each ear has a QR code that, when scanned, takes users to a page where they can listen to answers to a prompt about mental health care.<\/p>\n
Large cartoon ears attached to trees and posts across Victoria were designed to catch the eyes of passersby, and that\u2019s exactly what they\u2019ve done, says the group that put them up to raise awareness of mental health \u00adservices.<\/p>\n
Each ear has a QR code that, when scanned, takes users to a page where they can listen to answers to a prompt about mental health care.<\/p>\n
People are asked what they wish they had known sooner about mental-health care, what made them feel like they had a choice in their care, what they wish mental health \u00adprofessionals asked more often and what would have made finding the right support easier.<\/p>\n
At least 12 ears were installed on Aug. 30 by Let\u2019s Talk Access, a Victoria-based organization founded in 2022 whose goal is to teach people where to start obtaining mental-health care and what services are \u00adavailable. Those who scan the code and listen to its responses have the option to record their own answer to the question.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s Talk Access founder Christa Martel said about 30 responses have been recorded by passersby, including some messages of appreciation from tourists. \u201cI\u2019ve heard people find it quite cute.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martel said the questions came from a group facilitated by Let\u2019s Talk Access where \u00admembers discussed their experiences trying to understand their own mental-health needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope people leave with curiosity,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have a lot of internal stories or beliefs about what it would mean to access therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martel sees the ears as a myth-busting exercise to get people thinking about their mental health ahead of the release of the 24-episode second season of their Telus Storyhive-funded Let\u2019s Talk Access podcast.<\/p>\n
The first four episodes are set to be released on Nov. 15, when listeners will follow along as eight people navigate accessing mental health care.<\/p>\n
Martel said the podcast is intended as a learning tool for listeners, and includes expert interviews and a narrator who weaves the story together.<\/p>\n
It will correspond with the release of an access guide \u2014 a free tool for people to learn about the ins and outs of types of therapy and what will suit them best.<\/p>\n
The idea for ears with QR codes to audio responses came from Martel\u2019s time as a \u00admarketing student in Toronto, where a similar campaign for a memory database project caught her attention.<\/p>\n
The Ears to the Ground \u00adproject was funded in part by the Fernwood Community and Arts Association and a grant from the City of Victoria.<\/p>\n
The ears are set to be taken down on Saturday evening before being displayed at a \u00adclosing gallery show that will let guests interact with the \u00adquestions and write about their experiences.<\/p>\n
That event is set for Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Paul Philips Hall at 1921 Fernwood Rd.<\/p>\n