The Arts Wellbeing Collective: Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing in Performing Arts – Australia

ABOUT: The Arts Wellbeing Collective

The Arts Wellbeing Collective is an Arts Centre Melbourne initiative that comprises a consortium of Victorian arts and cultural organisations whose shared vision is to effect better mental health and wellbeing for performing arts workers.

Objectives

• To improve support services for Victorian arts workers
• To collate and share information
• To effect industry cultural change
• To improve support networks within and between arts organisations.

The guiding principles that inform the work of the Arts Wellbeing Collective are:

Prevention focused

• Promote positive mental health and wellbeing at all levels, including building practical skills for individuals and leaders, as well as organisational and sector-wide initiatives.
• Raise awareness of mental health, mental health problems and the value of early intervention.

Working in partnership

• Ensure a variety of partnerships state-wide and across the industry – collaboration is core to the Arts Wellbeing Collective and vital to success.
• Work in partnership with relevant experts to gather the best possible evidence-base for information sharing and creating practical tools.

Creating systems level change

• Seek to understand and address systems, cultures and traditions that contribute to poor mental health and wellbeing in the performing arts.
• Aim to drive sector-wide changes in culture and practices.

Long-term thinking

• Prioritise resources and initiatives that have capacity for long-lasting impact, scalability and transferability.
• Stay abreast of national and international trends.
• Focus intently on core vision, objectives, principles and values.

Knowledge creation and dissemination

• Work with experts and industry leaders to find, share, create and translate the best available information, tailored for creative contexts.
• Maintain open access to as much programmatic knowledge as possible, with minimal barriers to engagement.

Encouraging innovation

• We are always learning – we do not have all the answers. Test, trial, evaluate, and share useful findings with energy and authenticity.
• Be rigorously planned, strategically responsive and thoughtfully adaptable.

The Program 2018 – 2021

The Arts Wellbeing Collective program is informed by learning and organisational development principles, positive psychology, and research into workplace wellbeing, all specifically tailored to the unique landscape of the performing arts sector. The program seeks to promote positive mental health and wellbeing for performing arts workers, arts organisations of all shapes and sizes, and the industry as a whole.

The program will roll out across three years, 2018 – 2021. Arts Wellbeing Collective workshops and resources are open access and free of charge. Membership to the Arts Wellbeing Collective is free and open to all performing arts workers and organisations.

SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPING MENTALLY HEALTHY CREATIVE WORKPLACES

The Arts Wellbeing Collective is working in partnership with WorkSafe Victoria, organisational psychologists and industry leaders to support the development of mentally healthy creative workplaces, acknowledging the sometimes unusual needs and composition of creative workplaces.

This is then underpinned with a three-tier program:

1. RESOURCES

The Arts Wellbeing Collective will build practical, tailored resources including tool kits, posters, videos, information sheets, eLearning modules, and more.

2. WORKSHOPS

The Arts Wellbeing Collective will design and deliver face to face workshops, focussed on building knowledge and practical skills to address common mental health and wellbeing challenges in the performing arts. All workshops are co-designed with learning and organisational development specialists, relevant experts and industry practitioners.

3. SECTOR INITIATIVES

The Arts Wellbeing Collective will deliver a series of initiatives aimed at building sector capacity. Initiatives include the roll out of tailored, accredited Mental Health First Aid, the development of a peer support network, and exploring opportunities for increasing access to professional support.

For Support or More Information about Mental Health & Wellbeing: Click Here