New alliance to champion wellbeing in the arts

Australian arts organisations are marking World Mental Health Day (Tuesday 10th October) with the announcement of a new initiative to support mental health and wellbeing.

Launched today, the Australian Alliance for Wellness in Entertainment (AAWE) is a sector-wide initiative designed to generate positive mental health and wellbeing behaviours for a sustainable Australian entertainment industry.

The Alliance has been spearheaded by Entertainment Assist, and formed by a range of founding partners including peak bodies, sector representatives, employers, employees and freelancers within Australia’s live and recorded entertainment industry, including:

• The Arts Wellbeing Collective
• Ausdance Australia
• Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare
• Live Performance Australia 
• Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
• Music Australia
• Screen Producers Australia
• The Australian Council of Deans & Directors of Creative Arts

AAWE members will commit to a Statement of Values around respect, integrity, empathy, courage and collaborative leadership with an aim to providing advocacy, practical support and monitoring regarding the mental health and wellbeing of industry peers.

Partnering with Everymind (formerly the Hunter Institute for Mental Health), the Alliance aims to develop and implement a Prevention First Framework for Mental Health in Australian entertainment.

The Alliance is also to collaborate with Everymind on an industry research study to inform the Framework.

Introducing the initiative, Entertainment Assist patron, actor Shane Jacobson stated “this is a huge win for our Australian entertainment industry.

“It’s wonderful having all our disparate industry segments come together and support each other with a view to create change and build a more resilient, healthy Entertainment Industry.”

Susan Cooper, General Manager, Entertainment Assist and AAWE Convenor added “Entertainment Assist’s vision is for mental health in the entertainment industry to be actively and openly addressed.

“AAWE is a game changing platform from which this vision can be realised – going one step further to address wellbeing through a ‘prevention first’ lens. With industry leaders representing all sectors, AAWE’s founding members have made a commitment to wellness in entertainment and ask all industry members to join AAWE and do the same.”

In 2015, Entertainment Assist commissioned researchers at Victoria University to undertake a comprehensive study of mental health across all sectors of the Australian entertainment industry.

The report, entitled Working in the Australian Entertainment Industry: Final Report revealed troubling statistics that showed, when compared to the general population, those who work in entertainment experience: more than double the rate of suicide attempts; moderate to severe anxiety at levels 10 times higher and depression at levels five times higher.

In order to inform the AAWE’s Prevention First Framework, an invitation is extended to entertainment industry professionals, across all sectors, to attend nation-wide forums to identify existing industry wellness initiatives, engage in intra and cross sector communication and help prioritise key areas for systemic change.

Forums will be held in venues across the country from 13th November to 5th December 2017 and will consist of an industry wellness information session, followed by sector-based round table discussions. Seating is strictly limited. An online survey will be made available for those unable to attend.

To join AAWE and register attendance at one of the forums go to www.entertainmentassist.org.au/wellness 

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