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.
Performance Anxiety can affect any performer at any stage in their career, it can appear weeks before a performance, hours, or during, and can range from a mild feeling of excitement to a crippling affliction. Guided by our expert psychologist, this session will help you to
- Gain evidence-based practical techniques for reducing performance anxiety
- Understand why we get performance anxiety
- Create a pre-performance routine to reduce performance anxiety
- Ask questions and reflect on your own practice
Dr Berenice Beverley Zammit Chartered Psychologist
Berenice Beverley Zammit is a Psychologist, Performance Coach, Researcher, Senior Lecturer and professional Violinist. She is an Associate of the Royal College of Music, London.
Berenice works with various performing artists (in particular musicians, dancers, actors and musical theatre performers) and non-artist performers (including athletes, tv and radio presenters, and public speakers) on mental and physical strategies which optimise performance. These include, but are not exclusive to, pre-performance routines, performance anxiety, visualisation, confidence, motivation, physical activity and exercise, vocal health, and injury prevention especially for orchestral players and conductors.
As a consultant, Berenice works with various performing arts and sports institutions such as the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO), One Dance UK, and the Malta Olympic Committee (MOC) delivering in-person, as well as online, talks and workshops on performance enhancement, health and wellbeing. Berenice’s work extends to orchestras and smaller ensembles on areas relating to ensemble practice.
Berenice lectures in Performance Science, Dance Science, Performance Psychology and Music Psychology. She also lectures in Performing Arts in Health and Wellbeing, and Performance Education. Her area of expertise is in performance optimisation, encompassing pre-performance routines, mental and physical strategies for performance, and health and wellbeing in the performing arts.
Berenice’s research findings have been presented at the ISPS 2023, Warsaw; ISPS 2021, Montreal; KVNM/RMA Postgraduate Symposium 2021, Amsterdam; SMI/ICTM-IE Postgraduate Conference 2021, Limerick; ISPS 2019 in Melbourne. Her publications can be found here.
As a professional freelance violinist Berenice performs with various orchestras and ensembles mainly in the UK and Italy, and is a member of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also a violin tutor and is an Royal College of Music verified teacher. Berenice is often commissioned to write for The Strad.
Berenice provides tailored performance coaching to all artist performers and non-artist performers in English, Italian and Maltese.
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.