Youth Advisory Council

Devika is an artist, civil engineer and activist who grew up in Meanjin/ Brisbane and lives in Naarm/Melbourne. She is passionate about advocating for and empowering LGBTQIA+, immigrants, refugees, disabled and people of colour (POC) communities while acknowledging her privileges living on stolen land.

Devika has begun a new initiative named AKIN collective, in collaboration with others to bring together POC to stand in solidarity with First Nations peoples.

As an artist, she has previously worked for and continues to collaborate with various communities like Voices of Colour and is an Australian Poetry Slam 2020 national finalist. Her most recent work was in a theatre production called, Tales From the Colony, as part of a member of the Skindeep Collective – a group of creatives aiming to amplify the voices of artists of colour through truthtelling.

Her personal experience with treatment resistant depression and the hurdles she has faced to seek adequate treatment has driven her to create awareness through her art and further educate herself on the barriers that exist for at risk communities due to systemic separatism.

As a person benefitting from the resources of a developed country, Devika is aware of her privileges and wants to take full advantage of them to help communities who don’t receive the same opportunities. She hopes to bring a new perspective to youth mental health by advocating for communities facing barriers in the mental health care system.