May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and BAPAM is taking the opportunity to spotlight the importance of speaking out about mental ill-health in the performing arts. From helpful resources to online events, we’re focusing on amplifying the conversation, sharing practical resources and highlighting accessible mental services tailored for the needs of performing arts professionals throughout the UK.

Keep reading to discover the origins of Mental Health Awareness Month, why seeking support for mental health issues is critical, and how to get involved with our upcoming events.

 

What Is Mental Health Awareness Month? And Why Does It Matter?

It may seem like Mental Health Awareness Month has materialised out of the blue. However, this event has a significant history dating back to 1949.

Created over 70 years ago by (then known as the National Association for Mental Health), Mental Health Awareness Month has flourished from an American celebration to a worldwide focus.

The aim of the month is to:

● Learn about mental health and modern life
● Build a toolbox of helpful strategies for difficult emotions, stress, and challenging situations
● Advocate and raise awareness for mental health challenges in your community

Alongside Mental Health Awareness Month, Mental Health Awareness Week takes place 13 to 19 May.

 

So, why is talking about mental health so important?

Being open and frank about mental health struggles helps to normalise them, and we are pleased to see organisations across the creative sector working together to create a culture where mental health issues can be shared without fear of losing work or being judged. Open communication and collaboration can show that it is normal to experience difficulties as well as successes.

Sector-wide collaboration is key to raising awareness of mental health risks and the need for Ģ��tv initiatives in the performing arts. At BAPAM we’re pleased to work with organisations including Help Musicians, Equity, the Musicians’ Union, PPL, Dance Professionals Fund and PRS Members’ Fund to deliver mental health services, education and health resources.

In April, from YCAT, BAPAM, The Musicians’ Union and Tonic Rider gave us a platform to share stories and discuss music industry specific mental health challenges and support.

 

BAPAM Workshops on Mental Health in the Performing Arts

BAPAM has plenty of expert-led sessions and workshops coming up just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month. These are designed to share evidence-based techniques and essential knowledge to help performing arts professionals improve mental wellbeing and sustain creativity.

 

Here are some of the highlights:

 

Movement for Mental Health with Help Musicians

For Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re partnering with Help Musicians and running a mindful movement workshop to help you step into the present moment and reduce stress. The session is conducted in partnership with Musician, yoga teacher and advocate for performance wellbeing, Veronika Klirova, and is accessible to all experience levels.

 

Wednesday, May 15 01:00 pm to 02:00 pm.

 

BAPAM & Equity Psychological Support Group: Challenging Negative Thoughts & Maintaining Positive Relationships

Working as a creative freelancer allows you to take control of your schedule and earning capacity. You can spend more time with your children and be present in their lives as they grow. However, this career isn’t without its own unique challenges. Hopefully, this blog has given you new tips or signposted you to a helpful resource.

 

May 16th 03:00 pm to 04:00 pm.

 

How to Prioritise Self-Care: Authenticity and Identity

Self-care is central to any mental health discussion. In partnership with Help Musicians, we’re exploring strategies and techniques performing arts professionals can use to navigate difficult moments. This session is led by an accredited counsellor.

 

May 22nd 01:00 pm to 02:00 pm.

 

Mental Health Resources

Psychological Self-Care
Managing Performance Anxiety
BAPAM-Factsheet: The Drinks Are On Me
Managing Social Media: Advice for Creative Artists
Supporting Mental Health in the Performing Arts Sector: BAPAM Guidance
Mental Health Support In A Crisis

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How Nutrition Can Affect Your Mental Health

Alongside Mental Health Month and Week, another exciting celebration in May.

May 11th is , a day dedicated to eating your favourite foods and rejecting the idea of fads and restrictive diets.

There’s a clear link between nutrition and mental health. However, it can be difficult to separate the facts and fiction in a world where we’re bombarded with information on what we need to eat.

BAPAM’s Dietary Advice for Performance Professionals resource offers impartial advice on eating a balanced diet, supplements, how to eat when touring, and other food-related topics so you can eat well and give your best performances.

 

The Bottom Line

Whether you want to join a mental health webinar, quietly reflect on your own self-care, or get support from BAPAM’s mental health team, May is an excellent time to think about your mental wellbeing. Bookmark this blog so you can revisit the resources later or forward them to your friends to help raise awareness.

Learn more about BAPAM or keep reading via our blog.

Working in the Arts as Freelancers, Parents and Carers

Pursuing a freelance career in the performing arts is complex and requires lots of planning and energy. When you add little ones into the mix, it may seem an even more daunting task. But it’s not impossible — and this article offers support and resources to prove it.

We’re highlighting the dedication of performing artists who are freelancers and carers. We’ll also look at common challenges self-employed artists face, and ways to develop your career while raising children.

Challenges Faced by Self-Employed Parents and Carers

Freelance performers face plenty of challenges, and many of these are emphasised when you’re also juggling caring for children. Before we jump to strategies you can use to strengthen your career, we’ll quickly pinpoint some of the primary stressors.

● Fluctuating income — Unlike regular employment, freelancing doesn’t have a structured income stream. This can lead to financial instability and anxiety surrounding money.
● Time management — One of the perks of being self-employed is being your own boss. But as a parent or carer, you must manage your schedule and your child’s.
● Burnout — Creative burnout is a potential problem for both employed and self-employed artists, and it can have severe health impacts. However, it’s more common among freelancers, especially if they’re trying to raise children while working a full-time performing arts career.

Ways to Strengthen Your Freelance Career While Balancing Caring Responsibilities

Navigating a freelance career in the performing arts while looking after a family can be chaotic. But there are some tips and strategies you can embrace to be more efficient and reduce stress.

Inspired by creative industry business trainer , here are some ways you can strengthen your career while balancing child care:

● Where possible, focus on work that energises you. It’s always easier to deliver work you find exciting, and when you have limited time, this extra motivation can make life as a carer much more straightforward.
● Make a list of top priorities and fit these into your schedule first. Do you know which tasks are the most important to your career and creative practice? Make a decisive list and plan your time. Include time for creative work and time for the inevitable admin. This will make you more efficient, ensure the priority tasks aren’t swept under the rug, and help you manage stress. Although it isn’t always easy to find or make time, you might be surprised at how much you’re getting done.
● Set your alarm earlier. This isn’t the most popular strategy, but it works. Waking up earlier than the school alarm gives you a quiet hour or two to iron out essential tasks before you wake up the little ones.
● Find an accountability partner who can help you commit to your goals. By nature of the job, freelancers are often working solo. However, connecting with a friend, fellow artist, or mentor can help you stay motivated. Community is key!
● Be kind to yourself, don’t worry when plans need to change, remember you need to rest when you can.

A Helping Hand For Parents and Carers

A community of like-minded people can make a significant difference. So, if you’re new to freelancing with children or want to make more connections, joining an organisation can make a big difference.

is an organisation created to address the lack of support, and barriers to access for parents and carers in the performing arts industry.

PIPA provides research, resources, networks, and a charter program to raise awareness and help parents and carers participate in events and meet fellow professionals.

Looking to the Future

Working as a creative freelancer allows you to take control of your schedule and earning capacity. You can spend more time with your children and be present in their lives as they grow. However, this career isn’t without its own unique challenges. Hopefully, this blog has given you new tips or signposted you to a helpful resource.

Learn more about BAPAM or jump to the BAPAM blog for more news.

New BAPAM Website Launched

For the past few months we’ve been focusing on creating a user-friendly resource and information hub for BAPAM’s unique Ģ��tv health support services for the performing arts and we are delighted to launch our new website. Jump straight in at or read on for our guide to some of the key features of the new site.

 

Health support for performance professionals and students

Find out how to book a free online or telephone appointment at our Performing Arts Medicine clinics and download factsheets and resources including our updated Warm-up Exercises for Musicians and Fit to Sing vocal health tips.

With all our Healthy Practice Training Sessions currently being delivered as free webinars, our new Training and Events page collects everything in one place. Sessions cover key skills for healthy creative practice such as keeping mentally well, vocal health and preventing injury. We’re also hosting weekly online community drop-ins to support you in maintaining healthy practice. It’s now easier than ever to look through forthcoming sessions and book your place.

We’ve completely redesigned our Directory of Practitioners, adding expanded information and flexible search options to help you find performing arts healthcare experts around the UK.

 

A professional network for healthcare practitioners working with performing arts clients

We make connections between healthcare practitioners and the creative industry, and through training, practice and research we aim to further clinical standards for healthcare in the arts.

Find out more about BAPAM training for health professionals in key areas of performing arts healthcare, joining our Directory of Practitioners and working with BAPAM.

 

Clinical partnership and guidance for the performing arts sector

We are pleased to be part of the performing arts community effort to improve health in our sector. Bringing together clinical leaders in this area, we provide advice as well as care, and work closely with the academic community to further understanding of health needs and how to address them. Our redesigned website collects our clinical guidance for partner organisations and provides information on arranging custom training for your organisation.

 

Keeping you up to date

Recent posts on our News Page include information on returning to work and study post COVID-19, mental health resources and new hearing conservation guidance. Have a read, sign up to our Newsletter, and follow us on and .

 

Let us know what you think

We’d love to hear what you like about the new site, what could be improved and anything else you’d like to see included. Get in touch at info@bapam.org.uk.

 

Thank you to our designers!

We would like to thank for their expert design work, advice and support.

As a companion to our��Healthy Practice Webinar Series, here are collected BAPAM resources to plan and sustain healthy creative practice:

Healthy Practice Diary
Knowing what you should do to keep healthy is one thing, this diary is aimed at helping you to adopt healthy practice as routine in your life.

Don’t Cramp Your Style: Warm-up Exercises for Musicians
All skilled physical activity, including music performance, should be preceded by a warm up to increase the blood flow to muscles, free up motion and prepare the body for effective activity. Here are some useful exercises to help you warm up before you play.

Fit to play
Top tips for instrumental musicians

Fit to sing
Vocal health is about mind and body as well as voice

Sensible eating for performers
Finding a healthy balance with the food you eat

Psychological Self-Care
Keep mentally healthy, enhance your well-being and achieve your goals

The drinks are on me
How do you manage stress, and how can you spot the signs of a drink problem?

I can’t go on
Managing performance anxiety (stage fright)

Choosing a Psychotherapist or Counsellor

Risky business
Situations that put the musician at risk

Don’t lose the music
Hearing loss and tinnitus

The acoustic guitar
Playing technique and ergonomics

The Healthy Pianist
Essential advice for piano and keyboard players

Musician’s Focal Dystonia
Guidance on symptoms, possible risk factors and management

Healthy Touring Checklist and Rider
Planning for a healthy tour

Sources of��financial and practical support
Organisations who may fund Ģ��tv health care and provide other support

Resources produced with the support of our partners:

Current Scientific Research and Models for the Alexander Technique

A free online symposium outlining current scientific research and models for the Alexander Technique is taking place on Monday 18th May.

The event has been shared by��BAPAM Registered Alexander Technique teacher, Dr Alison Loram and will feature research she did with her husband Professor Ian Loram, who will be presenting at the online event. It is for Alexander teachers, those who may be training and students. It’s been organised by����an online platform��devoted to improving scientific understanding of the Alexander Technique.

This is a free online symposium featuring presentations, Q&A, and discussion from

This symposium addresses an urgent need for specific, up-to-date, science-based models to help AT practitioners to

• Better understand what we are learning and teaching physiologically
• Better communicate with scientists, medical professionals, and AT colleagues
• Broaden the base of respect and understanding for our profession

 

Date:��May 18th (a video version will be available after for anyone who cannot join live)
Time:��5 pm (UK time)

BAPAM is continuing to offer��clinical��services during the outbreak by telephone and video consultation. We regret that��for reasons of patient��and staff��safety,��and��in line with other��health��services,��we are unable to offer face to face consultations. We are very mindful that performers��may be having difficulty accessing the normal range of healthcare provision��whilst health��service��resources are focusing on patients with COVID-19, so we are expanding our��services��to provide interim support��in the following areas��and are very grateful to our practitioners for offering these��services��at a discounted rate for BAPAM patients.��

The BAPAM��Helpline 0207 404 8444��continues to operate as normal and is staffed remotely by our admin team.��

 

Vocal Health��

For patients with vocal health problems, we would generally��advise a referral to an NHS��Professional Voice User Clinic. These are currently closed and we are very pleased that our Vocal Rehabilitation Coaches have agreed to offer a��telephone/video advice��session to singers unable to be seen��by the NHS,��to provide some support meanwhile.��Please phone the Helpline to arrange a session.��Actors with vocal health problems should be seen by a Speech and Language Therapist and��are welcome to contact the SLTs listed in��our Directory��of��practitioners.��

 

Mental Health��

We are still booking��free��assessment��sessions with our��doctors and��clinical��psychologists,��and counsellors and psychotherapists��on our Directory��are��available for online therapies��if funding is available.��Equity’s counselling scheme is still alive,��and��Help Musicians and the Royal Society of Musicians, as well as other charities, are still able to provide funding for therapies if��applicants meet the criteria.��

In addition, BAPAM will be offering group therapy for��patients��where the assessment suggests that this would be helpful.��

 

Musculoskeletal Health��

Our��hand��and��orthopaedic��surgeons and��our rheumatologists are still available for��telephone or video consultations,��as well as our physiotherapists and osteopaths. We are also able to offer follow up��appointments��during this time.��Hands-on treatment/procedures, and physical examinations,��are��not available but clinicians will be able to provide��support and��advice on what to do in this interim period.��Clinicians will also be offering joint��consultations��with educators so that��performers can��develop new ways of performing��which do not exacerbate an injury but allow you to continue to practise.