Organisations across the music sector join Music Minds Matter Allies initiative

Organisations across the music industry are today celebrating World Mental Health Day by joining Music Minds Matter’s Allies initiative. The programme, which places emphasis on preventative mental health support, aims to ensure everyone working in music has access to resources and support for their mental health and wellbeing.

Six initial ally organisations – Music Managers Forum (MMF), BIMM Music Institute, Featured Artist Coalition (FAC), The Musicians’ Union (MU), We Are The Unheard, and BPI (British Phonographic Industry) – have signed on to the scheme, promising to ensure the people in their networks are connected to the range of support available to them through Music Minds Matter.

Music Minds Matter and Help Musicians chief executive Sarah Woods said: ‘A life in music is full of uniting highs but sadly the hours, pace and passion can have an impact on wellbeing too. It’s vital that those who work in music know there is somewhere they can turn for their mental health and we want to ensure that messages spreads to all who need us. With our Music Minds Matter allies, we can work together to develop more supporting resources and reach so many more who need support, whether a venue booker, artist manager, festival owner, record producer or label accountant.’

As part of their involvement in the scheme, allies will also co-develop new resources with the charity, and come together throughout the year to collaborate on the topic of mental wellbeing in music. Research has shown that those working in music may be up to three times more likely to experience depression, compared to the general public, and collaboration with allies across the industry means the charity will be able to reach more people across the sector in need of mental health support.

MMF chief executive Annabella Coldrick said: ‘Against a backdrop of cutbacks elsewhere in the music business, managers are under increasing pressure, shouldering a greater range of responsibilities and expected to deliver on multiple fronts. It can be an incredibly stressful and isolated role. Taking a more tailored approach that listens to the concerns of managers and provides them with bespoke mental health resources is, we feel, the best way to alleviate these challenges. The MMF is delighted to be a founding partner on the programme’

The Music Minds Matter mental health support line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week online and on 0808 802 8008.