Together with the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) and the Royal Society of Musicians (RSM), we are launching a three-part series on developing and supporting (1) musculoskeletal health, (2) vocal health and (3) mental health among musicians and other performing artists.
All sessions will take into account:
- Vulnerabilities facing students (including those under 18 years old)
- Healthy teaching practice
- General occupational health frameworks
- Reporting and documentation
Session 3: Mental Health
Date: Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Time: 11:00 – 13:00 (London)
Format: Online via Zoom
Chairs: Aaron Williamon (RCM), Claire Cordeaux (BAPAM), Charlotte Penton-Smith (RSM)
About the Mental Health session
Topics will include:
- Understanding exposure and health effects in performing arts
- Understanding mental health in the performing arts context
- Risk factors in performing arts education
- Understanding specific risks
- The hierarchy of control for psychosocial risks
- How mental health problems present in teaching contexts
- Appropriate responses
- Supporting students in teaching while they access help
- Creating a mentally healthy teaching culture
- Staff wellbeing
- Q&A, reflection and case studies
Featured speakers
Hannah Windows is a BACP accredited psychotherapist specialising in the performing arts. She trained at English National Ballet School, London, and spent 15 years working as a professional ballet and contemporary dancer. Hannah has worked with students at English National Ballet School and is currently employed by Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, where she offers one-to-one therapy and delivers bespoke workshops on topics such as self-esteem, managing stress, resilience and accountability. She also collaborates with Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Dr Maja Jankowska is an HCPC-registered Clinical and Counselling Psychologist and BPS Chartered Psychologist, specialising in mental health of performing artists and a founder of Beyond the Spotlight Psychology. Her expertise is deeply rooted in evidence-based practice and a specialist understanding of trauma, anxiety, and perfectionism. She provides specialist 1:1 therapy as well as workshops on topics of performance anxiety, inner critical voice, imposter syndrome, as well as trauma in the performing world (rejection, humiliation, criticism). With 23 years of clinical, academic, and research experience, she developed the evidence-based Stage Performer Framework to help professional and aspiring performers manage anxiety, perfectionism, trauma and creative blocks. Her expertise is informed not only by her professional work as a former lecturer and current clinician, but also by her personal experience as the mother of a performer navigating the conservatoire system.
Questions?
Contact: info@bapam.org.uk
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Healthy Conservatoires aims to support environments that promote and enhance the health and wellbeing of performing artists, enabling them to achieve their full potential and to build healthy and sustainable careers. www.HealthyConservatoires.org
We are generously supported by the Royal College of Music (www.rcm.ac.uk) and the Royal Society of Musicians (www.rsmgb.org).