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Dancers performing at the World Performing Arts Festival 2006, Lahore, Pakistan.
Photo © Waheed Khalid
Northern Broadside Theatre Company performing A School for Scandal.
Photo © Nobby Clark
A cellist performing.
Photo © Nana Kofi Acquah
Street performer 'The Space Cowboy' performing at Edinburgh Fringe in The Meadows.
Photo © Kenny Maths
Mime artists from the Cho-In Theatre Company of South Korea, performing at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006.
Photo © Kenny Maths
Our key funder and a crucial resource for professional and student musicians is the Musicians Benevolent Fund (MBF): www.mbf.org.uk. The Musicians Benevolent Fund is a unique charity which provides essential help to musicians of all ages. It supports professional musicians who experience unexpected circumstances during their working lives. Such challenges range from accident through to illness and even performance anxiety.
In many cases the Fund helps musicians return to their careers but, where necessary, it supports retraining and career changes.
The Musicians Benevolent Fund also helps music students suffering from performance-related health issues by funding specialist treatment.
- BAPAM’s strategic partners
- Unions, professional bodies and useful resources
- Sources of financial support
- Sources of health information
- Research relating to performing arts medicine
BAPAM's strategic partners
Access to Music: www.accesstomusic.co.uk
Franchise of 20 Further Education Colleges
Anson Medical Centre: www.ansonmedicalcentre.co.uk
BAPAM’s Manchester clinic
British Voice Association: www.british-voice-association.com
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Centre: www.cbso.co.uk
BAPAM’s Birmingham clinic
Guildhall School of Music and Drama: www.gsmd.ac.uk
Institute of Contemporary Music Performance: www.icmp.co.uk
BAPAM is piloting health-promotion material at this provider of guitar, bass, drums, vocal and specialist FE and HE programmes.
Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts: www.lipa.ac.uk
Newcastle University’s Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Music and Inclusivity: www.ncl.ac.uk/culturalquarter/cetl.phtml
Opera North: www.operanorth.co.uk
BAPAM’s Leeds clinic
Royal College of Music: www.rcm.ac.uk
Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases: www.rnhrd.nhs.uk
BAPAM’s Bath clinic
Royal Northern College of Music: www.rncm.ac.uk
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama: www.rwcmd.ac.uk
BAPAM’s Cardiff clinic
The Sage Gateshead: www.thesagegateshead.org
BAPAM’s Newcastle-Gateshead clinic
UCE Birmingham Conservatoire: www.conservatoire.bcu.ac.uk
Unions, professional bodies and useful resources
Musicians’ Union (MU): www.musiciansunion.org.uk
Equity: www.equity.org.uk
Dance UK: www.danceuk.org
The Association of British Orchestras (ABO): www.abo.org.uk
Royal Society of Musicians (RSM): www.royalsocietyofmusicians.co.uk
Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM): www.ism.org
MCPS-PRS Alliance (The Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society and Performing Rights Alliance): www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk
UK Music Jobs Online service for job seekers and employers: http://uk.music-jobs.com
Showdigs useful website for help finding theatre digs across the UK: www.showdigs.co.uk
Sources of financial support
Note that some of these organisations do not have a website and can only be contacted in writing or by telephone.
The Actors’ Charitable Trust (TACT): www.tactactors.org
Family Grants for the children (under 21, or older if in higher education) of actors and other theatre professionals. Also run Denville Hall residential home.
Actors’ Benevolent Fund: www.actorsbenevolentfund.co.uk
Care for actors unable to work because of poor health, an accident or frail old age.
Actors' Church Union: www.actorschurchunion.org
Some financial awards available for members fo the entertainment world regardless of beliefs.
Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund: www.ctbf.co.uk
‘Care behind the cameras’. Help for film/TV/theatre crews etc – not actors.
Dancers’ Career Development (DCD): www.thedcd.org.uk
Offer educational advice, career coaching, emotional counselling, CV and interview guidance, grants for retraining, business start-up grants, and on-going support for professional dancers whose performing career is drawing to a close.
Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund: www.eabf.org.uk
Main priority is Brinsworth House residential home and caring for elderly beneficiaries. However, will consider applications for help from variety, circus performers etc.
Equity Charitable Trust: www.equitycharitabletrust.org.uk
Help present and past members of Equity as well as other adult professional performers and their dependants, providing welfare grants to those unable to work because of poor health, an accident or old age. Also offer welfare rights and debt advice, and can provide education grants for retraining.
Plouviez House
19-20 Hatton Place
London EC1N 8RU
miranda@equitycharitabletrust.org.uk
Tel: 020 7831 1926
Contact: Miranda Connell
Musicians Benevolent Fund: www.mbf.org.uk
A crucial resource for professional and student musicians. Students looking for information about the Student Health Scheme will find it here: http://www.mbf.org.uk/studenthealth
Musicians Social and Benevolent Council
Help members of London District M.U. – also likely to aid any musician currently performing in a West End show. They will provide a one-off grant of about £170.
100a Weston Park
Crouch End
London
N8 9PP
Tel: 020 8348 9358
PRS Members' Fund: www.prs.co.uk
Helps members of the Performing Rights Society.
Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund
For professional dancers who have been a member of a repertory company for 7 years or more. Do not support students, or help with retraining.
8 Guildford Road
Brighton BN1 3LU
Tel: 020 8570 7569
Fax: 020 8570 7569
Royal Society of Musicians: www.royalsocietyofmusicians.co.uk
Will pay therapists directly, or reimburse costs incurred by the musician.
Royal Theatrical Fund: www.trtf.com
Help stage/radio/film/TV performers who have worked professionally for over 7 years. Unlikely to fund private healthcare, but will provide grants or monthly allowances to help pay for medical equipment, or cope with illness/infirmity.
Royal Opera House Benevolent Fund
For Royal Opera House and Birmingham Royal Ballet employees and their dependants
Royal Opera House
Bow Street
Covent Garden
London WC2E 9DD
Tel: 020 7212 9128
The Theatrical Guild: www.the-theatrical-guild.org.uk
Mainly for backstage/front of house. But may help actors too.
Grand Order of Water Rats
Help actors, variety performers, etc.
16 Gloucester Court
Swan Street
London SE1 1DQ
Tel: 020 7407 8007
jadrian675@aol.com
Sources of health information
NHS Direct: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
BBC health pages: www.bbc.co.uk/health
Health and Safety Executive (HSE): www.hse.gov.uk (follow the links to the Workplace Health pages). The Sound Advice website contains information about the control of Noise at Work legislation at: www.soundadvice.info
British Heart Foundation: www.bhf.org.uk
RNIB (Royal National Institute of the Blind): www.rnib.org.uk
RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People): www.rnid.org.uk
RNID’s campaign Don’t Lose the Music (raising awareness of the need for young people to protect their hearing): www.dontlosethemusic.com
Musicians Hearing Serviceswww.musicianshearingservices.co.uk (provides reduced-price services to members of the Musicians Union, and provides the Musicians’ Hearing Passport to freelance musicians who are MU members)
British Tinnitus Association if you are suffering from tinnitus please contact the BTA. They have a really useful website, www.tinnitus.org.uk, and a free advice line 0800 018 0527
Vocal Process: www.vocalprocess.co.uk
Also produces a monthly e-magazine on aspects of voice, technique and vocal health
Arthritis Care: www.arthritiscare.org.uk
Diabetes UK: www.diabetes.org.uk
Drugscope: www.drugscope.org.uk
Alcohol Concern: www.alcoholconcern.org.uk and follow the links through to ‘How’s your drink?’
Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT): www.stat.org.uk
Manipulation Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (MACP): www.macp-online.co.uk
Research relating to performing arts medicine
Centre for Performance Science at the Royal College of Music in London: www.cps.rcm.ac.uk
American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH): www.assh.org
External links policy
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