Articles

Beyond Buzzwords: What wellbeing in the arts means to us

Written by Nicole Joseph

Share

A person walking up the moors with a heavy chair strapped to his back

Every so often a new buzzword arises in the arts sector that gets the hive moving and shaking. Over the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, wellbeing has been the buzzword on everyone’s lips and a trend in funding and focus across arts organisations. ‘The Future Workplace 2021 HR Sentiment Survey’ found 68% of senior HR leaders rated employee wellbeing and mental health as a top priority for 2022. The only problem with this being a buzz is what happens when the buzz dies down and reemerges elsewhere, and what does that mean for wellbeing in the arts when the tide changes?

Bradford Producing Hub being needs-led means that we can keep an eye on this and ensure wellbeing remains a priority long-term for our local artists. Since 2022 we have offered strands focussed on arts wellbeing in our programme with our Series of Care, which offers holistic wellbeing workshops and training to support artists with their wellbeing. These sessions have covered subjects like safeguarding, sustainability, avoiding burnout, creative confidence coaching, and sessions around maintaining momentum, and decolonising creative practice, in addition to disability and LGBTQIA+ awareness. In partnership with Mind The Gap, we hosted sessions on inclusive practice, building accessible creative spaces and creating access riders. In parallel to Series of Care, we hosted our Empowered programme, where 45 marginalised artists across three cohorts (including Black and Global Majority, LGBTQIA+ and Deaf Disabled and Neurodiverse backgrounds) were supported through training, community and bursaries. The Empowered programme created ‘identity-only’ spaces where appropriate with wellbeing support for artists to explore their relationship with their identity and progress as creatives and future leaders. These programmes have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from artists, and many participants have returned to BPH to further develop their skills and take positive steps forward in their creative careers whilst feeling more connected within communities.

 

It made me realise that self-care, and in particular setting boundaries, isn’t a selfish act – having good boundaries helps other people know that having boundaries is OK. It seems so obvious but it’s a different way of thinking about it that has really helped me.’

Burn Bright Don’t Burn Out participant feedback

 

‘Thank you to your team for caring about our wellbeing and enabling us to do better for our city.’

Creative Confidence Coaching participant feedback

 

‘For me personally, it’s been an elevator going up, in a world full of escalators moving down. I cannot emphasise enough what a meaningful difference it has been for me.’

I’ve felt more engaged with my community in Bradford and, as an artist, better connected in the arts sector because of that. I’ve felt valued and seen.’

Empowered and Make The Change supported artist feedback

 

The main components of the success of our wellbeing programmes have been the emphasis on lived experience being central to marginalised identities and listening and responding to participants’ needs throughout the process. The Series of Care programme, while having overarching wellbeing aims less specific to identities, has continued to consider wellbeing support where it might be appropriate. We offered 1-2-1’s with our Wellbeing Champion, Jen Nevin as a precaution if some of the Series of Care sessions opened up negative emotions or experiences for participants, to ensure they are supported and signposted following them. Although these spaces are not intended to be therapy, they can be therapeutic, which can create a myriad of experiences for artists. BPH – an organisation specialising in arts development organisation has not always prepared for these less usual experiences centring emotions and wellbeing in our work but has taken the initiative to learn and build more specialist knowledge and infrastructure over time to accommodate this need. Much of the BPH team has developed their own knowledge through additional training, participating in the Series of Care and through additional training in Deaf Awareness, Beginners BSL, Mental Health First Aid, and Awareness.

These bold, brave spaces where we talk about our wellbeing in the context of the art world can open up a lot of vulnerability. Some of our events have perhaps encouraged sharing when people aren’t ready to share, or it may take more courage than the support available is able to provide. Some issues that people face that are a barrier to their progression in the arts sector can be incredibly sensitive and not something we can easily ‘solve’ as a needs-led arts organisation. There also needs to be consideration for the weight of leadership on these programmes, ensuring it isn’t the people with marginalised identities who are always tasked to hold this space and advocating; essentially asking them to solve a problem they didn’t create and shouldn’t be their burden. Despite this, we have been keen to learn, offer an open dialogue and continue to build our expertise. By calling upon experts on arts wellbeing and growing our partnerships, we can be agile and respond to our artists as we continue to listen. Some of the experts we have worked with include Auriel Majumdar, Astra Soulfeather, Mind The Gap’s Jess Boyes and Bee Skivington, Jen Nevin and Displace Yourself Theatre, Jenn Wilson, Uzma Kazi, Liz Mytton, The Teapot Collective, Quiplash and dozens more arts leaders with marginalised identities who have given talks to our Empowered cohorts.

In our freelance artistic world the pressure for us to be on ‘top form’ is constant and when we consider wellbeing, this perfectionism can be unhealthy and unattainable by our own standards. Opening discussions and forums about bettering and supporting wellbeing then create this question of how can we better our wellbeing if we are always meant to be perfect to perform in this highly competitive industry? We understand the challenge of addressing wellbeing and making space for those who need support in a system that has not historically welcomed anything less than operating at high performance. We don’t believe any of these issues we address in Empowered and Series of Care programmes can be easily resolved, but little by little, changes in attitude and positive challenges of practice can make space for truly supported wellbeing for artists. This is our hope.

In January, as we enter the beginning of the 2025 City of Culture Year, we host Series of Care: Mastering Your Mindset, a 3-day intensive facilitated by brilliant coach, Astra Soulfeather. This has been shaped in detail to respond to some of those wider challenges we have identified and aim to support in our local artists. Keep your eyes peeled for more Series of Care workshops and let’s keep making small positive changes to create that ripple effect and better wellbeing.

Words by Nicole Joseph, Creative Instigator at Bradford Producing Hub

 

While you’re here

You might want to watch Held By the Wind, a beautiful multi-art form film created by some of the Empowered cohort for our Make the Change showcase.

Skip to content