Working in partnership with peak bodies in the music industry, we are delivering Mental Health First Aid training to Artist Managers
Mental Health in creative industries is and has been a critical issue, even before COVID-19. With pressures in balancing certainty in a gig economy, uncertainty of work security, and a lack of broader valuing of the arts sector, people working in this industry experience higher rates of mental health issues, and in the context of 2020 this issue is at critical levels.
We have been working with the Australian Association of Artist Managers (AAM) as part of the Gimme Shelter initiative, with funding by Support Act to deliver Mental Health First Aid training to 190 Artist Managers across Australia.
The training provides vital skills for Artist Managers to understand the intricacies of a range of mental illness experiences and challenges, and with tools to notice, support and respond to people they work with, manage and support with regards to their mental health.
We are working in collaboration with AAM to design bespoke case scenarios and practice conversations relevant to this industry and common experiences faced by Artist Managers through their day to day work.
In Term 1, which saw 48 Artist Manager become Accredited Mental Health First Aiders:
Mental Health First Aid training online involves self paced e-learning of around 6 hours, with a home delivered hard copy manual. We then meet in groups of 12 on Zoom, for 2 x 2.5hr sessions held one week apart.
"The opportunity to share experiences and knowledge with my colleagues and peers was so valuable. This rarely happens given how busy we always are, and this course helped me realise just how important these connections are for my own sustainability and mental health in this industry too"
Growing research proves that creative habits make a big impact on our mental wellbeing. Read about why they make a difference, and how our programs introduce ways to explore this for our own self-care.
Our Return-to-Life approach of skilling up people to find creative practices proven to regulate and reduce a range of mental health symptoms.
Working in partnership with peak bodies in the music industry, we are delivering Mental Health First Aid training to Artist Managers
Play isn't just for kids! It turns out, it's a vital part of being a human.
As we navigate the range of experiences of grief, loss and uncertainty that 2020 has brought us, let us turn to delight as an action, a tool for hope and light at the end of the tunnel.
National Reconciliation week has driven home just how much further we have to go in truly working towards healing.
Creativity is innate in all of us. And we are just beginning to understand, as a culture, the power of creative practice as a balm for grief, distress, trauma and pain
Are you feeling wired, hyper-vigilant and awake? Panicky, fluttery in the belly, a bit shaky? Or exhausted, flat and drained?
As we try and find a rhythm in this new way of being and living right now, try to remember to include a dose of nature, each day. It will do us all the world of good.
The Irish Government are choosing to describe ‘self-isolating’ and ‘quarantine’ as Cocooning.
Folks, let’s talk about ‘Social Distancing’. Us humans are ‘social’ beings which means we seek and crave companionship and are suited to living in communities, yes? It’s wired into our DNA, our bones. Well, nothing about that has changed.
“To end loneliness, you need other people—plus something else. You also need to feel you are sharing something with the other person, or the group, that is meaningful to both of you.