Good Practice for Producers
Some things to consider if you are
supporting artists to make work about mental health
As part of our Performing Anxiety project we are developing a good practice guide for making creative work about mental health, drawing on conversations with over 30 writers, performers, directors, producers and programmers who have professional experience in this field.
We are updating these guidelines in response to feedback, so that this resource can evolve as we continue to learn. If there are things you think we’ve missed – or that we’ve got wrong – contact Andrew Eaton-Lewis at smhaf@mentalhealth.org.uk.
Be clear from the beginning about what you can and cannot do.
Manage expectations. Be mindful that even approaching you about a project can make someone vulnerable.
Be clear about what your capacity is, what part of yourself can you offer, what can you not offer? We know that if we don’t set up the conversation with ‘we’re very busy, it’s quite unlikely we’ve got the space right now,’ it can feel as if we asked someone to excavate some personal trauma and then went, ‘nah.’
Stephanie Katie Hunter
producer
Consider offering an access rider at the beginning of the working relationship.
While access riders tend to be associated with artists who are disabled or neurodivergent, some producers are now providing templates for everybody they work with, encouraging them to set out what they need to do the best job possible.
When you implement support with access and inclusion in mind, everybody benefits. And it means that from word go on contract, we know what that person’s needs are moving forward.
Stephanie Katie Hunter
producer
Consider working with a wellbeing practitioner.
The right wellbeing practitioner can support you to prioritise mental health in various aspects of the creative process.
Be clear about what your capacity is, what part of yourself can you offer, what can you not offer? We know that if we don’t set up the conversation with ‘we’re very busy, it’s quite unlikely we’ve got the space right now,’ it can feel as if we asked someone to excavate some personal trauma and then went, ‘nah.’
Stephanie Katie Hunter
producer
Is there someone looking after the team’s wellbeing who is independent enough from the creative or contractual process to have no power of them?
To achieve complete impartiality is impossible so this is by degrees. It might just be a nominated person within the project who is relatively independent. We’re all responsible for our own wellbeing but ideally there needs to be a support structure for that you can trust. If there is a power dynamic, how do I feel about talking to the person who is also my director? It might feel great but what if it doesn’t?
Ruby Lawrence
artist
When it comes to wellbeing, use an ‘opt in’ rather than an ‘opt out’ approach.
For example, you could let your team know that they will be contacted by a wellbeing practitioner early on in the project and, if they don’t feel they need this, they can opt out.
This means you’re not placing the burden on anyone to come forward and single themselves out; it’s just a pro-active design element. Bad practice is waiting until people are triggered, exhausted and in crisis.
Ruby Lawrence
artist
Include an offer of therapy in your budget plan.
But also be mindful of the limits of this, given that effective relationships with therapists tend to be very personal and often long term. Consider including a budget line for team members to source their own therapy, on their own terms – this could be time with their own therapist, or just time at a sauna or swimming pool.
Build aftercare into a project plan (and budget).
Several people we spoke too highlighted the issue of people feeling abandoned after a project ends.
For me part of that aftercare process is reflecting on what just happened but also what’s next. I think a lot of hurt and broken relationships happen at this point, after the project ends.
Ruby Lawrence
artist
I was working on a project a few years ago where I felt very exposed afterwards and it was because in the eyes of the production company the commission had ended.
Luke ‘Luca’ Cockayne
artist
Remember the people matter more than the work.
Ultimately people’s wellbeing throughout the project needs to be of more importance than the end product, and this principle should be built into the project plan.
Performing Anxiety
A resource for people who want to make audience-facing or participatory arts projects about mental health.
