BAPAM deliver expert health and wellbeing services in the performing arts. Our events give artists, creators, technicians, teachers, and organisers the knowledge they need to improve health and enjoy sustainable careers.
Three-quarters of musicians have health problems that can impact their creative work, ranging from minor inconveniences to career-limiting conditions (Ackermann, Kenny 2014). Many of these conditions could be prevented by healthy practice.
This session focuses on evidence-based practical skills and draws from performance experience, research findings, psychology, and proven vocal health clinical pathways.
All our training and expert clinics for people in the performing arts are available for free because of the support of our community.Help us create a healthier world for performing arts professionals. Give £10 today.
Participants will learn how to avoid vocal problems and identify the signs and symptoms if they do occur, how to manage issues, promote good health, and where to go for help.
Trainer: Sally Dennis, speech and language therapist
Sally Dennis is a HCPC and RCSLT registered and BAPAM approved Voice Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) with 20 years of clinical experience working with people experiencing voice difficulties, injuries and disorders. She has a particular interest in voice therapy and vocal rehabilitation for the Professional Voice User, seeing patients in the NHS and in her private practice in Altrincham, Liverpool and Manchester. In her role as Voice lead at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust she works closely with ENT laryngology colleagues seeing patients in specialist diagnostic laryngoscopy voice clinics with stroboscopy including a BAPAM recognised dedicated specialist voice clinic for singers, performers and professional voice users together with Singing Rehabilitation Coach Carrie Birmingham.
She regularly attends SLT, ENT, BVA and BLA conferences and courses for keeping updated on voice care practices, and has contributed by sharing her work on treatment endoscopy and service delivery models. She has presented on accent method for vocal health at the 2024 Autumn AOTOS conference and is guest lecturer at the Royal Northern College of Music presenting on vocal mechanics and vocal health for studying performers.
Research looking at health issues within the performing arts workforce consistently finds that 70-75% of our population report both mental and physical health problems, which is much higher than the national average. We are lucky to be working with a number of health and wellbeing experts who can offer training to performers across the UK, with the aim of reducing the levels of poor health and supporting performers to have a sustainable career. Working with our partners in Equity, Musicians’ Union, Help Musicians UK and Performing Arts Education Providers – who are very kindly giving us free use of training venues – we are expanding our national training programme supporting healthy performance in the UK.