Long Term Illness
A session for healthcare professionals who are supporting or would like to understand how to support performing arts professionals with long term illnesses.
A long term illness is a condition which currently doesn’t have a cure. Instead, they are managed with medicines and other treatments. For example: arthritis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, angina, heart failure, and high blood pressure (hypertension). About 15 million people in England have a long-term condition.
This session will explore how healthcare professionals can support performing arts professionals with long term illnesses from diagnosis through their career. This could include exploring considerations around working and touring, rest and protecting against boom and bust patterns of behaviour and providing tools such as healthy tour riders.
Dr Amal Lad is a GP and musician treating general and performance specific physical and mental health problems. This would include depression, anxiety, musculoskeletal pain and all problems normally assessed and treated in general practice. He is passionate about finding new ways to support people working in the performing arts. He is also musician and he has composed music for a number of projects including film, theatre and released his personal music on streaming platforms which can be found on his website. Currently, Amal is preparing the release of new experimental music, while continuing his work in medicine.
Dr Luke Aldridge-Waddon (he/him) is a Clinical Psychologist working within the NHS and in independent practice. His clinical and research interests focus on clinical health psychology, using psychological approaches to support people experiencing mental health difficulties and psychosocial distress in the context of persistent physical symptoms and long-term health conditions. He has a special interest in psychological perspectives in vocal health and voice care, and he is a recipient of prizes from the British Voice Association (Van Lawrence Prize, 2023) and Dysphonia International (Travel Award) in recognition of his research on clinical psychology and voice disorders.
Lucy Heyman is a coach, researcher and lecturer. She is the co-author (with Rhian Jones) of industry-funded musicians’ health and performance manual, Sound Advice: The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy and Successful Career in Music.
Lucy’s PhD research at the Royal College of Music focuses on the health and wellbeing support of popular musicians, and she presents her original work at international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.
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BAPAM’s expert-led training events are ideal for healthcare and education practitioners working in the performing arts who wish to deepen their understanding and enhance their skills. We explore research, evidence and practice to treat and prevent common and complex health problems specific to artists, creators and performance professionals. We share knowledge and invite discussion on key topics in current performing arts medicine practice. Our approach is multidisciplinary: physiological and psychological care for healthy and sustainable creative practice.
Online sessions are held on the last Wednesday of the month from 7pm BST. Most sessions are recorded for ticket holders who cannot attend on the day (please check the event description).