Practical support and peer networking to protect the health and wellbeing of performing artists working in creative health settings
About the Series
For a growing number of performing artists, an important part of their career is working in creative health, facilitating programmes that support often vulnerable people in settings such as hospitals, care homes, community groups and detention centres, to enable participation in creative activity.
Artists bring an inclusive and person-centred approach to these health initiatives. They care deeply about the communities they work with and often work with people with whom they share lived experience, but this work comes with its own challenges and can be emotionally and mentally demanding.
This workshop series, presented by BAPAM and The BRIT Trust, provides support for artists and creators working in creative health, with facilitated sessions aimed at helping you protect your own health while providing effective support to the clients you work with.
The sessions encourage peer discussion, guided by health professionals with personal experience in the field. All artists, organisers and facilitators working in creative health settings are welcome to attend, and are invited to share their insights, experiences, and perspectives on how best to ensure that everyone working in these contexts can flourish.
If you are a performing artist working in creative health, these sessions will help you:
- Support others while managing risks involved in your work
- Build peer‑to‑peer connections that strengthen your practice
- Share strategies for handling unexpected or challenging situations
- Set clear boundaries and understand when and where to seek support
- Feel part of a community of practitioners facing similar demands
Safe Practice: Undertaking Risk Assessments
Working in creative health is rewarding, and is increasingly part of many performing arts careers, but it also comes with its own challenges and can be emotionally and mentally demanding for artists delivering programmes, impacting their own health.
Risks may relate to factors including constantly changing working environments, systemic challenges experienced by clients such as discrimination, marginalisation, precarity, or health inequalities, and the challenges of looking after your own wellbeing.
Navigating these risks can be tough but having a plan around safe practice and understanding how to undertake risk assessments will help lighten the mental load and protect yourself and others when unexpected situations arise, allowing you to continue to support others and protect your own health.
In this session we will cover:
- The risks involved in different settings
- Supporting vulnerable people safely
- Creating your own risk assessment for your places of work
- Who to contact when you need support
Facilitator: Dr Amal Lad, GP and Musician
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.
The BRIT Trust
The BRIT Trust was established in 1989 by UK record labels with the BPI and the wider music community. Its founding mission was to draw on the transformative power of music and the arts to do good and to enable positive life pathways for young people of all backgrounds – recognising that this can best be achieved by embracing accessibility, diversity and inclusion as key values.
Funded largely by monies raised each year by The BRIT Awards and the Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS), The BRIT Trust has to date made more than 280 grant commitments totalling almost £30 million to a wide range of causes and charities across the UK that inspire people to realise their full potential and life chances, whatever their abilities, ethnicity, gender and sexuality.
BAPAM
BAPAM is the medical charity for the performing arts. We are the largest provider of clinical services to the UK’s entire performing arts sector. Our events give artists, creators, technicians, teachers, and organisers the knowledge they need to improve health and enjoy sustainable careers.
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.