threadUp pitchUp: Mental Health Support for Events

Aim

Pilot mental health support project for Greater Manchester Fringe 1-30th September 2021. If successful we aim to expand the service.

threadUp pitchUp 

The project is a vision from Rafaela Nunes. A counsellor based in Manchester who runs a counselling practice, geared up towards supporting & improving the mental health of creatives. Alongside Rafaela, the project is managed by a creative designer with a background in Music.

This pilot (possibly the first of its kind) will provide entirely free mental health support for the performers and workers of the Greater Manchester Fringe 2021. The support will be delivered over 2 days each week, for the duration of the festival via telephone or video call; support days will be on Monday and Wednesday with 50 minutes long sessions provided. 

There will be one main number as threadUp pitchUp contact. The trained professional on the line will take some basic details from the individual seeking the service and allocate the next available counsellor, who will contact them directly by telephone or video call, depending on the service user's preference. The service is completely confidential.

The project concept was shared with the organisers of the Fringe, who welcomed this initiative with enthusiasm and are supporting this pilot.

threadUp pitchUp - Mental health support & well-being in fringes / festivals & creative events

WE WILL SUPPORT YOU
WE WILL HOLD YOU
WE WILL PROPEL YOU

We will pitch up at your fringe / festival / creative event, get you through the stresses and facilitate focus on the positive aspects of what you do. A team of counsellors will be on hand to support all responsible for performing and working at The Greater Manchester Fringe 2021, with the following aims:

• To support the well-being & mental health of performers and workers of the fringe.
• To create a confidential space where individuals feel comfortable and safe to seek mental health support whilst working at the fringe.
• To promote healthy mental health & emotional resilience amongst the performers and workers of the fringe.
• To give performers & workers of the fringe who have been seriously impacted by the Coronavirus crisis, a space to process difficulties arising from resuming live work after periods of inactivity and/or isolation.
• To give performers & workers of the fringe an opportunity to feel seen, valued and integral to the success of the event.
• An invitation to explore performers/workers’ immediate needs and an opportunity to identify more long term aims for better mental health.
• To continue to raise awareness about mental health within the performing arts and the festival industry.

In this pilot, experienced counsellors who were expertly curated, who are associated with and adhere to ethical frameworks from professional bodies such as the BACP (British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy), will be fairly remunerated for their time through the funding we will raise with your help. They will be on hand to support the GM Fringe performers/workers, and this forms the majority of our funding needs, as the skills and dedication of these professionals is central. 

Benefits of threadUp pitchUp:

• To learn more about the aspects that negatively impact creatives & artists performing & working in festivals and creative events.
• To understand how some creative industry structures contribute to poor mental health; this isn’t about shaming, but it is about helping the industry to grow and get better at supporting its performers and workers.
• Creating a culture of informed creatives & artists who can develop good levels of self-care, whether in their day to day and/or whilst performing/working in festivals and creative events.
• Normalising the need for mental health support amongst the creative industry.
• Learning to identify when things are/aren’t manageable and seeking support accordingly.
• Destigmatise the need of accessing mental health support amongst the creative industry.

If we exceed our funding target, the excess will go towards the founding of threadUp as a Community Interest Company (CIC). This would mean that threadUp pitchUp and other trail blazing mental health projects supporting the creative community, can thrive and continue to be free & accessible. See more details here.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 20th August 2021