‘Don’t put your daughter on the stage’: Mental health and wellbeing in the performing arts

Abstract

This story is an example of how arts management research can contribute directly to arts management practice. Addressing the mental health and wellbeing of workers in the arts industry is a challenge for individuals and organisations worldwide. This paper explores the response of leading Australian arts institution, Arts Centre Melbourne (ACM) to world-first research by Entertainment Assist and Victoria University on the mental health of artists and arts workers in the entertainment industry. The result was the Arts Wellbeing Collective, an Arts Centre Melbourne initiative that comprises a consortium of more than 170 arts and cultural organisations whose shared vision is to effect better men..