Matterworks, health content creator, has joined forces with ABC to launch two education video series aimed at helping young Australians navigate mental health topics.
‘Explainer Hacks’, is a series for tweens that challenges artists, designers and makers to use their creativity to help explain mental health and wellbeing topics to young people aged between 8 and 12 years old. In each episode, host and science communicator Lee Constable tackles the research on topics like autism, puberty and screen time, and calls on an inspiring guest to help bring this to life.
For younger teens, ‘What’s the Point?’ zeroes in on the what and why of what’s good for you, your body and your mind. Each episode, host and TikTok creator Aya Al Chalabi (@notjustaya) video calls with inspirational friends including professional athletes, performers, influencers and artists to figure out just what it takes to turn good healthy choices into daily habits.
Both series use research derived from Australian medical research body, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, ensuring a strong evidence base that children, educators and parents can trust.
Sarah Wyse, Matterworks CEO & Co-Founder, comments: “We’re extremely proud to be launching these two powerful and compelling content series in partnership with the ABC. Giving people access to trusted sources of health education and information is vital, especially with the proliferation of misinformation and faux science on so many platforms.
“However, we also know getting this message across needs to be entertaining and engaging as it’s competing against so much other content, which is why we’ve chosen these personalities and formats for these age groups. Matterworks’ job is to distil often complex research into something approachable, trustworthy and fun for the right audiences.”
ABC’s Head of Education, Annabel Astbury, adds: “Both ABC Education and Matterworks have a strong commitment to understanding the way video content is used in the classroom. We hope these series act as springboards to dive into deeper discussions about mental health and wellbeing. Matterworks’ creative production treatment along with their access to Australia’s top researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute has made this an exciting project to be a part of.”
Matterworks is a content and technology studio specialising in taking complex health information and distilling it into engaging content, and was founded by Sarah Wyse and Kylie Robertson in 2022.
Kylie Robertson, Matterworks Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder explains: “Impacting the health and wellbeing of young people means communicating with them on their level. If education is not relatable, how can we expect real change? That’s why we are focused on creating products that truly resonate and connect with their intended audience.”
Explainer Hacks and What’s the Point will be available to view on ABC Education from Monday 12 February and ABC TV and ABC iView from Friday 16 February