The music support team at one of our festivals, Safe Hubs – This is the music support team at Leeds Festival 2022. (Courtesy of Music Support)
Music Support, a UK charity that helps people working in the music industry overcome mental health issues and drug use (the two go hand in hand), responds to increased demand for its services. We have launched a new strategy for
Music Support saw a 51% year-over-year increase in calls to its helpline. By its own admission, “the charity directly impacted at least 545 people across core services in the UK music industry last year.”
Music Support launched surveys at various events over the summer. Feedback from both onstage and behind the scenes indicates an overall increase in the challenges faced by colleagues regarding substance use and mental health.
This includes 26% of respondents saying they had experienced a drug and/or alcohol problem in the past 12 months (up from 19% in 2023) and 49% experiencing a mental health problem. (up from 40%) and 21% said they had experienced a mental health problem. had suicidal thoughts (up from 18%);
Music Support team members have first-hand experience with these types of issues, or are at least closely connected to the issues the organization addresses. That’s why people who need help feel heard.
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An anonymous Music Support beneficiary commented on the impact this charity has had on their lives: I spoke with Music Support in January 2023 and have received great support ever since. I had struggled a lot with cocaine and alcohol over the last few years, but the advice I was given and the regular phone calls gave me the confidence to go to rehab. I feel like I’ve done the best thing I’ve done in years, refreshed and ready to fully immerse myself in music again, but without the devil on my shoulder. I can’t recommend enough how life-affirming and changing this experience was, but none of this would have happened without Music Support. ”
Music Support’s new strategy is “a response to the worrying increase in demand for essential services over the past year.”
The charity has expanded and strengthened its offering to ensure “comprehensive and targeted support at every stage of an individual’s journey in the music industry”.
“From active educational resources for people just starting out in music to life-saving crisis interventions for people facing urgent substance use and mental health challenges, Music Support’s cutting-edge services , designed to meet the industry’s unique and evolving needs. The charity’s new strategy offers an unrivaled support package, helping music professionals thrive regardless of the challenges they face. ”
All of Music Support’s work is person-centered, and we provide a safe space to connect and receive professional support, confidentially and without judgement.
Music Support relies entirely on external funding to continue its vital work.
With all this in mind, the charity launched a new awareness campaign on 8 October at London’s Curzon Soho cinema, inviting friends, partners and beneficiaries to join them.
The campaign is led by a film produced in partnership with Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (GEMA) and BBC Creative, long-standing mental health champions, who support the charity’s important work. It’s narrated by Busted star Matt Willis. .
The film and wider campaign, entitled ‘Without You, There Is No Music’, aims to highlight the charity’s work and raise awareness of the services and resources it provides.
Music Support’s “Without You, There Is No Music” campaign film.
In addition to its core services, the organization also provides specialized training in mental health first aid, addiction and recovery awareness, and hosts webinars and interviews on these important topics.
Music Support has been offering so-called Safe Hubs backstage at UK festivals since 2016 (this is where the aforementioned research took place). The hub is a space where anyone working at a participating festival, from artists to staff, can speak to peers trained in mental health first aid.
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Joe Hastings, Music Support CEO, commented: “While the increased demand for our services is concerning, we are also heartened by the fact that the stigma around mental health and problematic drug use is decreasing and people are more willing to seek help.”We are doing important work. We rely on funding to keep going and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who supports us. ”
Matt Thomas, co-founder of Music Support, added: “We are extremely grateful to have been chosen as GEMA’s charity challenge partner and were surprised by the quantity and quality of responses to our brief. It’s been great working with the amazing team at BBC Creative to bring our vision to life. It was an experience. “Without You, There Is No Music” tells the story of how the music industry would not exist without all the people who work tirelessly both on stage and behind the scenes. have to take care of them. Our small but mighty team is dedicated to championing the well-being of our peers. ”
Matt Willis said: “I was honored when Music Support asked me to narrate this important film. From responding to calls to crisis helplines to ensuring individuals are looking after the well-being of their colleagues (and themselves in the process). From providing critical training, our music support team literally saves lives every day, and we’re proud to support them.”
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