Bridging Mind and Body

Bridging Mind and Body

Published in Therapy Today, BAPAM Counselling Psychologist, Monia Brizzi’s article Bridging Mind and Body describes how a complex systems approach helped a musician identify and understand the emotional roots of his physical symptoms. Thank you to Therapy Today for...
Today is National Stress Awareness Day

Today is National Stress Awareness Day

Anushka Tanna: BAPAM Mental Health Ambassador I think it would be fair to say that stress is something we are all familiar with. Afterall, it is ubiquitous and unavoidable, and something that we will all experience throughout our lifetime. Due to the various demands...
Get this Journal Started!

Get this Journal Started!

Our guest blog is by Nicky Torode, a coach, journaling facilitator and writer, who works with BAPAM on healthy practice training. Heard all the buzz about journaling? Perhaps, you’ve started and stopped? How do you journal and really feel the benefits? Want to know...
Long Covid Q&A

Long Covid Q&A

Collected information following our recent long Covid webinar. If you would like to stay informed about future events please subscribe to our email newsletter. We send approximately one email per month and do not share your email address with anybody else. Useful...

Mike Shipley (1948-2022)

Dr Michael Edward Shipley, Consultant Rheumatologist, UCHL, BAPAM   Mike Shipley, who died on 15 July 2022, had a lifelong interest in music and the performing arts, and as Consultant Rheumatologist at University College Hospital, London, it was natural for him...
Research: Acrobat Participants Wanted

Research: Acrobat Participants Wanted

Bethany Shum is a Physiotherapist, conducting research that explores sources of pain, pain perception and pain self-efficacy among acrobats as part of MSc in Performing Arts Medicine at UCL. Acrobats can contribute by completing an online questionnaire (10-15...
Research: Are You a Musician Playing Through Pain?

Research: Are You a Musician Playing Through Pain?

Researcher, Noudy Eleryan, at Cardiff University is investigating methods that musicians use to manage their playing-related pains, aches and injuries. Proficient instrumental musicians (e.g., an amateur, a hobbyist, or a professional musician) or university-level...
BAPAM Physiotherapists at 2022 Commonwealth Games

BAPAM Physiotherapists at 2022 Commonwealth Games

First ever clinical placement in performing arts medicine: a ‘massively exciting project, with a global reach’ Throughout the 2022 Commonwealth games, BAPAM Physiotherapists worked with Physiotherapy students from the University of Birmingham to look after...
Advice on ASD and ADHD Assessments

Advice on ASD and ADHD Assessments

We advise all patients seeking diagnostic assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to access these via the NHS in the first instance. Follow up treatment, if required, is generally provided by the NHS and...
New BAPAM Performing Arts Medicine Clinic in Belfast

New BAPAM Performing Arts Medicine Clinic in Belfast

We are delighted to announce that thanks to the hard work of BAPAM GP and Ulster Orchestra medical adviser, Dr Christine Hunter-Lavery, we start our face to face performing arts medicine clinic in Belfast this month. The monthly clinic offers specialist performance...
Event Report: Visual Health in the Performing Arts

Visual Health in the Performing Arts

Thursday 7 July, University of York, Department of Music Dr Naomi Norton, Allegro Optical and BAPAM present an event bringing together performing artists, clinicians, medical device manufacturers, and arts health and wellbeing organisations. Performing artists have...
Research: Healthcare for Injured Pianists

Research: Healthcare for Injured Pianists

Healthcare for Injured Pianists – Invitation to a research project David Harvey is researching pianists’ views and experiences of access to healthcare for injuries that limit playing. David is a professional pianist and final year trainee Osteopath at the...
Take Part in the Fit Musician Survey

Take Part in the Fit Musician Survey

Performance Consultant, professional violinist and PhD candidate at the Royal College of Music, Berenice Beverley Zammit is researching instrumental musicians’ health through the Fit Musician Survey. Read on for more information on taking part…...
Hypermobility in Instrumental Musicians

Hypermobility in Instrumental Musicians

Performance specialist physiotherapist Lucie Rayner, looks at hypermobility in the context of the unique physical demands placed on the musculoskeletal system by playing a musical instrument, and introduces strategies for hypermobile musicians to help mitigate the...
The BAPAM Vocal Rehabilitation Coach Project

The BAPAM Vocal Rehabilitation Coach Project

In 2017 Vocal Rehabilitation Coach, Dane Chalfin, highlighted to BAPAM the benefit of singing rehabilitation coaches as part of the multidisciplinary team in specialist Voice Clinics which treat professional singers. At the time, there were a very few singing...
Empowering Transgender Voices Through Singing

Empowering Transgender Voices Through Singing

Countertenor, teacher and LGBTQ+ advocate, Alexander Pullinger, was awarded a bursary by Sound Connections to research a pressing issue within classical singing, one that has profound health implications for the performing arts and society as a whole. Singing is well...
BAPAM CEO Claire Cordeaux on Elevate Music Podcast

BAPAM CEO Claire Cordeaux on Elevate Music Podcast

BAPAM join Elevate Music Podcast to explore how musicians can prepare for a return to live performance after a break In this final episode of the current series of the excellent Elevate Music Podcast, musician Lauren Aquilina talks about her experience of returning to...
10 Tips for a Healthy Spine

10 Tips for a Healthy Spine

BAPAM Flexible Spine – Community Drop In  Sitting for extensive periods of time at our computers and practicing more often now that lockdown restrictions are easing goes hand in hand with putting extra strain on the spine. This may trigger existing problems in...
Perfectionism in Performing Artists

Perfectionism in Performing Artists

PhD candidate, lecturer and trained actor, Julia Grieshofer, researches actors’ mental health at UCL. From June 2021/22, she joins the UCL MSc in Performing Arts Medicine team to lead the Psychology module on this programme. Recently, she was invited as a speaker on...
Managing a return to performance

Managing a return to performance

In part 4 of our article series covering aspects of returning to performance environments, and building up work schedules and routines in the light of the COVID 19 pandemic and lockdowns, Dr Naomi Brecker, Consultant Occupational Physician, considers the vital role of...
Chief Executive’s Message, April 2021

Chief Executive’s Message, April 2021

The first few months of 2021 have been one of the busiest times in BAPAM’s history of clinical services. Rising mental health problems, preparing to return to busier work schedules and environments, plus difficulties accessing NHS services mean more people need...
Long COVID: Patient Experience and Support Groups

Long COVID: Patient Experience and Support Groups

Long COVID is an umbrella term that describes a cluster of symptoms related to an initial COVID infection where symptoms persist after the acute infection phase. It appears that Long COVID can affect the whole body including the respiratory, cardiovascular,...
Recruiting: Clinical Lead Mental Health

Recruiting: Clinical Lead Mental Health

The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) is recruiting a Clinical Lead Mental Health for a project in partnership with Help Musicians which provides counselling/psychotherapy support to musicians. BAPAM is building on our successful long term...
Season’s Greetings From BAPAM

Season’s Greetings From BAPAM

Season’s Greetings From BAPAM   As we approach the end of 2020 we would like to wish you a wonderful Christmas and New Year. It’s been a challenging year and we hope that 2021 will be better one for the performing arts. It was good to see many people join...
BAPAM Factsheet – Mental Health Support in a Crisis

BAPAM Factsheet – Mental Health Support in a Crisis

As Christmas approaches and many offices including our own close for a few days to end 2020, we are very much aware that the need for mental health support amongst performers won’t change. Indeed at BAPAM during the course of this year we have seen a big...
Self Care Tips for Creatives

Self Care Tips for Creatives

Before becoming a counsellor, Denise Devenish grew up in a family steeped in the music industry and has been surrounded by musicians and people who work in the music industry her whole life. She has sung professionally, worked as a performer, and has a degree in arts...
Recruiting: Health Promotion Training Assistant

Recruiting: Health Promotion Training Assistant

The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) is the largest provider of performing arts medicine in the UK. In the last year we have doubled the amount of health education we provide to support performance professionals to avoid health problems that...
Singers, Musicians and Hearing loss

Singers, Musicians and Hearing loss

Singers, instrumentalists, actors and performance professionals throughout the arts are understandably worried when they experience hearing problems, and often contact BAPAM with concerns about their ability to perform and work. If you read this article and take one...
Creativity and Motivation!

Creativity and Motivation!

Participants at our Community Drop-in have spoken about the difficulty of finding the motivation to create new work during the COVID-19 outbreak and our facilitator Dr Pippa Wheble programmed a session on creative practice as a means of thinking about and developing...
Creative Minds and Mental Health

Creative Minds and Mental Health

Creative Minds and Mental Health or Keeping Mentally Well was the title of my discussion as a Panelist for BAPAM’s Healthy Practice Series in August 2020. Who am I to be asked to be a Panelist discussing such a topic? A fellow creative (Actress, Writer, West End...
Fundraising in Memory of Luke Westlake

Fundraising in Memory of Luke Westlake

We would like to offer our condolences and thanks to the family of actor, Luke Westlake, who are fundraising for BAPAM in Luke’s memory. These donations make a very real difference to our service, helping us to provide clinical consultations to performers with...
Summer 2020 Newsletter

Summer 2020 Newsletter

Our Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available to read online.  This edition features: Free Online Healthy Practice Training Sessions and Community Drop-in Covid-19 Advice Anxiety Management BAPAM 2019 Annual Review Updated Factsheets Articles and Press You can read all...
A new age digital production – Labyrinth Project

A new age digital production – Labyrinth Project

A unique and interactive theatre production which promises to challenge, test and help the audience uncover secrets about themselves starts today. The Labyrinth Project is a 7-day digital experience where viewers navigate through a maze full of twists and turns as...
Free Online Alexander Technique Constructive Rest Sessions

Free Online Alexander Technique Constructive Rest Sessions

Cathie Kidger, who is a BAPAM Registered Alexander Technique teacher, is offering free 30 minute Alexander Technique Zoom sessions to help artists and creative practitioners during the current pandemic. Cathie first had Alexander Technique lessons whilst studying for...
New BAPAM Website Launched

New BAPAM Website Launched

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 specialist health support services for the performing arts and we are delighted to launch our new website. Jump straight...
BAPAM Healthy Practice Training Programme – what did the attendees say?

What happens during BAPAM community drop-in sessions?

Our weekly sessions started at the beginning of June and are designed to help performing artists to set goals and stick to healthy practice routines. It includes new techniques and strategies to help maintain mental and physical health now and into the future. Book...
Healthy Practice Community Drop In

Healthy Practice Community Drop In

Healthy Practice Community Drop In – supporting you to develop and sustain your healthy practice as a performing artist  Knowing what you should do to keep healthy is one thing, adopting healthy practice as routine in your life is another. It can be hard to...
Healthy Practice Resources

Healthy Practice Resources

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...
Mental Health Awareness Week 2020

Mental Health Awareness Week 2020

Even at the best of times, maintaining good mental health while sustaining a career in the arts presents unique challenges. The current pandemic disrupts our communities, creative practices and ability to earn a living, and brings significant...
BAPAM Offerings During COVID-19

BAPAM Offerings During COVID-19

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...
Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

On 1st April an online survey was launched by a research team based at the Royal College of Music and Imperial College London looking at the way COVID-19 is impacting the arts and cultural sectors. The study which is being coordinated by the HEartS research team is...
BAPAM Factsheet – Mental Health Support in a Crisis

Mental Health Resources for COVID19

BAPAM GP Dr Tamara Karni Cohen has put together a list of resources on how to protect and look after yours and others’ mental health during this pandemic. These resources include apps and website from the UK as well as further afield.   1. From Australia,...
New BAPAM Clinic at Sage Gateshead

New BAPAM Clinic at Sage Gateshead

We are delighted to be working with Sage Gateshead who will host our new free Performing Arts Medicine clinic from Thursday 9 April as part of their programme supporting creative artists. Our GP, Dr Melanie Grundy, who also has a background in music and theatre arts,...
Covid 19: BAPAM Services Update

Covid 19: BAPAM Services Update

As a result of coronavirus (Covid 19), BAPAM is currently delivering all clinical assessments by telephone. Please do contact us if you have a health problem relating to your performing art and we will schedule a telephone consultation with a BAPAM clinician. If you...
Orchestra Musicians Required for Research

Orchestra Musicians Required for Research

A PhD researcher based at Liverpool John Moores University and a 5th year physiotherapist student based in France are looking for participants to take part in a study about pain in musicians. The pair are specifically looking at pain beliefs in orchestra musicians....
Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

BAPAM is Recruiting!

We are looking for regional administrators to support BAPAM’s work in Northern Ireland, Scotland, North of England (covering Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool), West Midlands and Cardiff.) You will support the running of BAPAM’s regional clinics and health...
Ballet Dancers Needed for an Online Survey

Ballet Dancers Needed for an Online Survey

Are you a professional ballet dancer, studying the art form or an amateur performer? If this is you, then your experience may help contribute towards initiatives which will help the health and performance of dancers in the future. Dancers are being sought to respond...
Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

BAPAM Registered Psychotherapist Moves to Bath

BAPAM registered Psychotherapist Alison Penfold who had a successful practice in London for years has moved to the city of Bath. Before retraining and becoming a BACP Accredited Integrative Therapist, Alison worked as a classical singer. She uses perspectives from...
Crafted Talks – Peer Led Discussions for Performers

Crafted Talks – Peer Led Discussions for Performers

A singing and vocal coach from Manchester is organising an event aimed at facilitating an open discussion around the challenges performers have faced during their careers. Kathy Brooke is behind the idea of “Crafted Talks” which was inspired by her personal experience...
Free Health Assessments for Performers in Liverpool

Free Health Assessments for Performers in Liverpool

If you make a proportion of your living from, or study in the performing arts, and have a physical or psychological health problem related to your work, BAPAM can help you. A specialist monthly clinic in Liverpool is available for performers. The clinic is led by GP...
Guest Blog: Getting to Know Your Emojis : )

Guest Blog: Getting to Know Your Emojis : )

Psychotherapist, Fiona Macbeth In a guest blog for BAPAM, psychotherapist Fiona Macbeth considers the importance of emotional awareness for performers and some simple techniques for managing overwhelming feelings. Fiona ran the counselling service at one of the bigger...
BAPAM Welcomes PR Guru Jonathan Morrish as New Trustee

BAPAM Welcomes PR Guru Jonathan Morrish as New Trustee

BAPAM is very lucky to be adding to its list of trustees, a real stalwart in the world of public relations. Jonathan Morrish started in the music industry as a freelance music writer in the seventies, contributing to a number of different publications. Then in 1975 he...
Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

BAPAM Nominated for Industry Minds Awards

BAPAM has been nominated for its work in supporting the mental and physical health of those working in the performing arts industry. The nomination is part of the inaugural Industry Minds Awards which takes place this September. Industry Minds is a mental health...
Healthy Performance Training Series

Healthy Performance Training Series

BAPAM is proud to announce the start of a series of training sessions for performers to keep them healthy and able to sustain a performing arts career. The sessions kick off in Belfast at the Oh Yeah Music Centre this September, with more planned in cities across the...
Day Dedicated to Performing Arts Medicine

Day Dedicated to Performing Arts Medicine

Attended by doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths and a number of students and professional performers, PAM day at UCL offered time for networking and discussions on the health and rehabilitation of performing artists. The day consisted of talks by experts in...
BAPAM Flying the Flag Stateside at PAMA 2019

BAPAM Flying the Flag Stateside at PAMA 2019

This report gives a small flavour of some of the highlights of a packed conference programme with content covering all forms of the arts and many of the conditions that performing artists suffer from. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear from experts across the...
Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

Alexander Technique Research Update

If you’re interested in the ergonomics of musicianship then you may remember a previous post where we featured the research of Alison Loram. Alison is a violinist and BAPAM-registered Alexander Technique teacher working with performers. Alison is also a research...
Musicians Wanted for UCL Masters Research

Musicians Wanted for UCL Masters Research

Professional and amateur violinists and viola players are being sought for a study as part of a master’s thesis research project for the MSc Performing Arts Medicine programme at University College London. The study by Sarah Lesjak will investigate how changes to the...
Contemporary Dance and Injury workshop

Contemporary Dance and Injury workshop

A day dedicated to contemporary dance and injury management is taking place in the capital on 9th June.  The event geared specifically for the dance community will take place at Core Clapton in East London. The workshops will be led by dance professionals, plus...
Fundraising Concert for BAPAM Featuring Two Harpsichords

Fundraising Concert for BAPAM Featuring Two Harpsichords

BAPAM relies heavily on the generosity of key funders for delivering specialised services to the performing arts community. We are also equally grateful for many individuals and local groups who also support us through fundraising at events such concerts and talks. On...
Performing Arts Medicine (PAM) Day 2019

Performing Arts Medicine (PAM) Day 2019

There’s less than a month to go until a one-day course providing an introduction to Performing Arts Medicine. The annual PAM day is aimed at health professionals, performers, those studying and working in health sciences and performance academies.   PAM day will...
New Clinics in Liverpool and Belfast

New Clinics in Liverpool and Belfast

As part of our commitment to reach and support performers throughout the UK, we are pleased and excited to announce new regional clinics, this time in Liverpool and Belfast starting in May 2019.  BAPAM are delighted to be working with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic...
Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

BAPAM Regional Clinics Update!

We’re excited to unveil more specialist BAPAM medical assessments for performing artists at our regional clinics in Birmingham and Glasgow during the month of March. Birmingham In addition to the musculoskeletal clinic led by BAPAM physio Louise Curley on 8th and 22nd...
Call for Research Participants

Call for Research Participants

Are you a professional musician and do you engage heavily with social media and social networking sites? Tom Wegg-Prosser, final year MSc student in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths University is looking for solo artists, lead singers, dance and...
Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

Trustee Recruitment

We are are looking for skilled and experienced individuals to join our Board of Trustees and help guide the organisation in assuring service quality, developing new and existing partnerships and expanding our services throughout the performing arts industry. To apply,...
January 2019 Newsletter

January 2019 Newsletter

Our January 2019 Performing Arts Medicine Newsletter is archived here.  Contents: New clinics Healthy practice training for performing arts professionals and students BAPAM and the Royal Society of Medicine Event: Occupational Health in the Performing Arts Industry:...
Clinical Governance Toolkit

Clinical Governance Toolkit

Can BAPAM help your organisation ensure quality of clinical services for performing artists? Performing arts organisations and businesses which commission or provide health services for artists, or are considering doing so, should comply with quality standards for...
Online Survey on How COVID-19 is Impacting the Arts

Performing Arts Medicine (PAM) Day

It’s been a busy year for all things Performing Arts Medicine (PAM). Here’s a look back at one of the highlights of the year. The annual PAM DAY 2018 was held at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health on 21st July and organised by the Department of Performing...
Do It Differently

Do It Differently

A brand new fund has been set up to support the careers of 20 independently-driven music creators by one of BAPAM’s major funders Help Musicians UK. The Do it Differently fund is being called the most comprehensive support for this group of performers yet. Worth a...
Rock and Pop Weekend 2018

Rock and Pop Weekend 2018

A who’s who of voice experts will be gathering at the British Voice Association’s weekend workshop in London for singers, vocal coaches and voice professionals this November. Geared especially for the genres of rock and pop, a range of some serious big hitters from...
Top Tips for Those Considering a Career in Psychotherapy

Top Tips for Those Considering a Career in Psychotherapy

  Psychotherapist and music industry consultant Tamsin Embleton of Embleton Psychotherapy shares some top tips for those considering a career in psychotherapy. It’s a guide Tamsin created following conversations with musicians and other professionals within the...
BAPAM Training Day: The Performance Environment

BAPAM Training Day: The Performance Environment

The countdown is on for BAPAM’s last Training Day of the year, which draws on experts from across the performing arts industry, medicine, education and research. This year’s event takes place on Saturday 17th November in London and focuses on the Performance...
January 2019 Newsletter

August 2018 Newsletter

Read our August 2018 Newsletter here Scotland clinics Arts Specialist Psychologists and Psychotherapists PPL CEO Peter Leathem Appointed BAPAM Chairman BAPAM Training Day: The Performance Environment Forthcoming Events
BAPAM featured in Pianist Magazine

BAPAM featured in Pianist Magazine

The internationally renowned Pianist magazine has devoted a four page article on healthy piano playing and what to do when injury strikes, giving a nod to the work BAPAM has been doing in the field. The article written by journalist and former editor of Classic Fm...
Alison Loram Muscle Function Research Published

Alison Loram Muscle Function Research Published

Alison Loram is a BAPAM-registered Alexander Technique teacher with expertise in the technique’s application to performance and practice, and ergonomics of instrumental playing/singing. She is a graduate of UCL’s Performing Arts Medicine MSc, violinist and research...
Classical Musicians’ Well-being Survey

Classical Musicians’ Well-being Survey

Simone Willis, a Performance Science researcher, is conducting an online survey with professional and conservatoire classical musicians about the workplace stressors musicians encounter, coping behaviours and the impact on well-being. The work is part of Simone’s PhD...