Future Archives Competition

Do you want to make history?

To provide a broad perspective for future generations we invited people to contribute their thoughts and impressions of psychiatry and mental health services today and help create our 'Future Archives'.

Founded in 1841, the RCPsych is celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2021. Our knowledge about mental healthcare all those years ago is limited - because it lacks the perspectives of everyone giving and receiving mental health care.

We can't change the resources we have about mental health in the past - but we can make sure that people in the future can access a wide range of perspectives about what mental health practices, politics, services and research were like in 2020/2021.

The competition

We welcomed submissions in any format: prose, poetry, drama, film, paintings, cartoons, and music. The stories we received will supplement and complement the institutional records that are created by the various departments, committees, faculties, divisions and devolved councils and special interest groups of the College. 

The closing date was 30 April 2021 and entries were assessed by a diverse panel of judges, including a journalist, a clinician, a patient, and a historian.

Winning entries

Congratulations to the four winning entries (sorted by name) who will each receive an iPad:

Click on a name to see their competition entry.

Other shortlisted entries

We also wish to acknowledge the other excellent entries that made it on to the shortlist (again sorted by name):

What will happen with the entries?

All of the above entries will be deposited in the College archives, with the author’s agreement, for future generations to read and learn about psychiatry in the present day.  Each author will receive a certificate confirming this. If requested, entries can be 'closed' to public access for a period, e.g. 10 years, 25 years or longer, and then made available.

Some entries will also be published in the History of Psychiatry Special Interest Group (HoPSIG) newsletter.

For further information contact:

 

Read more to receive further information regarding a career in psychiatry