Penington Institute has developed a toolkit to assist organisers of Victorian-based music festivals to incorporate sexual health and safety considerations when planning and running their events.
As part of the project, they’ve also developed fact sheets on important sexual health and safety topics to help you stay safe when you head to your next music festival or party.
You can access the toolkit and fact sheets at this link.
Key Crisis Helplines
If you need any support there are a range of organisations that can help:
Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1800 806 292 / sacl.com.au
1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732
Support Act 1800 959 500 / https://supportact.org.au/resources/sexual-health-and-safety/
Support Act is exclusively for those who work in the Australian music community.
Safe Steps: Family Violence Response Centre 1800 015 188 / www.safesteps.org.au
Telephone counselling, information and referral to safe accommodation in Victoria for women and children experiencing domestic violence.
WIRE (Women’s Information and Referral Exchange) 1300 134 130 / www.wire.org.au
Djirra 1800 105 303
Support service available to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and particularly to Aboriginal people who are currently experiencing family violence or have in the past.
Switchboard 1800 184 527 / www.qlife.org.au
Phone and web counselling for the LGBTIQA+ community.
For emergencies please contact 000
Hope Assistance Local Tradies (HALT) offers its service to the music and arts Industries.
HALT is a grassroots, suicide prevention charity promoting Mental Health awareness in blue collar industries. They aim to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and provide tools and resources to have a tough conversation with a mate and to seek help.
This is typically delivered via lived experience talks in the workplace, sporting club, hardware stores and the like. HALT also delivers Safe Talk training.
HALT is extending the invitation to the music and arts industries. They have musicians, visual artists and performers within their team. If you have a venue, production, business or group, HALT would love to come and talk to you. No group is too small.
HALT is federally funded and is able to offer these talks and resources at no charge to you.
Find out more about HALT.
Support Act's Guide to Mental Health and Wellbeing is a regularly updated resource of evidence-based information, articles, videos, plus app and book recommendations, specifically curated for those who work in music.
You can access the guide here: https://supportact.org.au/resources/mental-health-resources/
Whether you want to learn how to give or get help, look after your own wellbeing or hear how others in the music community have overcome challenges, this guide is for you. If you need additional support contact the Support Act Wellbeing Helpline now on 1800 959 500.
From the crowd, working in the music industry can look like a pure dream. But the more we talk about mental health and wellbeing, the more we learn that artists, managers, roadies, and the people in their lives often find themselves facing just as much struggle as they find and face success. The hours, the expectations, the stakes, the pay, and the habits together can make for a pretty tumultuous day job. Support Act’s second series of Tune Ups, is a high-impact, intimate and revealing video series on mental health.
Check out the full list of episodes here: https://supportact.org.au/tune-ups/
Sound Check is a web series begun by Support Act in mid-2020 in response to the crippling impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series aimed to encourage positive mental health and wellbeing amongst the music industry, and features conversations with experts in mental, physical and social wellbeing, and a selection of artists, crew workers and music industry pros impacted by the industry shutdown.
Check out the full list of episodes here: https://supportact.org.au/resources/sound-check/
Sound Diplomacy, with contributions from Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan, has put together 'A guide to managing your night time economy' for those interested in developing and expanding the benefits that the evening and nighttime economy have created around the globe. Written for mayors and their advisors, economic development professionals, tourism agencies, cultural bodies and nighttime professionals (including owners, operators, artists and managers); the guide highlights existing best practices while championing diversity, information sharing and debate.
The guide promotes global thought-leaders and case studies from Chile to Colombia, Germany to the USA and all the way to Melbourne, Australia where the Music Victoria CEO, Patrick Donovan, explains the planning reform called Agent of Change. A reform which has successfully saved and protected multiple live music venues and rehearsal studios in Melbourne.
"To build a strong nighttime economy, our city planners need to learn to feel the music" - Sound Diplomacy.
Access the report HERE
Support Act announces new Wellbeing Helpline - 1800 959 500
Support Act is delighted to announce the launch of its long-awaited Wellbeing Helpline, made possible with support
from Alberts’ The Tony Foundation and Levi Strauss Australia.
The Support Act Wellbeing Helpline, is staffed by professional counsellors* who will offer expertise in all areas related
to mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal ideation) as well as issues which can be mental health
related (such as loneliness, relationship breakdown, financial worries, illness and workplace conflict).
The free and confidential service is available to anyone working in Australian music who needs to talk to someone
about any aspect of their wellbeing. The service will also offer specific urgent support for people who may be a risk to
themselves or others. It is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days per year by calling 1800 959 500 within Australia.
Find out more here
Support Act is a registered charity founded in 1997 by the music industry, for the music industry. Support Act was established in recognition that a career in music brings its own unique rewards and challenges.
We understand that a life crisis can quickly lead to financial hardship. We have helped in so many different ways since we were founded in 1997.
We’ve paid the rent, kept the power on, repaired instruments, provided petrol, bought school uniforms, helped rehouse a prized vinyl collection, replaced a rotten bed and kept a dog in biscuits. We’ve brought comfort and dignity to many people in the final stages of life.
We’ve helped get artists and music workers back on their feet when they have hit a tough patch and just need a breathing space.
Learn more about Support Act here.