Mental health challenges in creative industries are disproportionately high compared to the general population.
63% of creatives reported experiencing anxiety, compared to just 15% of the general population.
People working in creative industries cited financial stress caused by irregular work, long hours and workforce casualisation as huge contributors to their mental health struggles.
Another common problem is artists not being paid for their work, or being asked to work for ‘exposure’, giving up their time for gigs that won’t pay the bills
For many, the Arts Wellbeing Collective was an essential lifeline that helped to provide tailored mental health support, resources and training.
It helped creatives deal with the stress of being an artist. The collective provided proactive programs and resources to help stop mental health struggles becoming mental health crises.
They created a safe space for artists to reach out if they were experiencing mental health issues.
But just before Christmas last year it was forced to close its doors due to a decision made by the Melbourne Arts Centre.
Though there is no clear information about why it was closed, speculation has been made that the decision was made due to lack of funding from the Victorian government.
The outcry from the arts community has been swift and clear: people in the arts need mental health support.
The closure of the Arts Wellbeing Collective has left a significant gap in mental health and wellbeing support that is being felt by all those in creative industries.
The government needs to commit to providing ongoing funding to support and protect much needed mental health and wellbeing services in the arts industry.
And it needs to take steps to address the underlying issues such as underpaid and insecure work contributing to the disproportionate mental health challenges experienced by creatives.
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