Resilience and Recovery

October is Mental Health Month, a really important reminder to look within at our own mental health.

Managing uncertainty can be daunting so finding a place to start specific to an Australian entertainment industry worker has been developed on this homepage, to help individuals to make a start. Our homepage is dedicated to known resources through our AAWE alliance that are doing their best to help as many people as possible.

Everymind, with Entertainment Assist and the Australian Alliance for Wellness in Entertainment, recently surveyed all channels of our entertainment industry to check in and see how mental health matters were holding up during the past 12 months. A sincere thanks to the 600+ people that took the time to share those experiences with us.

It’s no surprise that COVID-19 played havoc on our sector, the survey uncovered that many of our workers are experiencing severe financial distress and sadly, 25 percent of people surveyed could not afford to buy basic household items.

Many people had worked in the industry for more than 25 years and believed they did not have the skills and transferrable skills to work elsewhere, which is heightened when supplementing avenues of work are also shut down.

This national survey closed six days prior to the NSW full-scale lockdown, no doubt not capturing a major proportion of the population's loss and distress. You only have to watch the news or read your email subscriptions to see the shutdowns and frustrations that our industry is experiencing, while other industries have special exemptions with heaven and earth moved for them to go full steam ahead.

Looking forward, we all want to see an industry thrive, to experience again the joy our entertainment channels bring us. Working in the Australian entertainment industry isn't easy and it will always present challenges, but passion drives our people to do what they do and bring the experiences we so much enjoy. To do that, people will need to self-manage ways to support themselves as they work towards recovery. Entertainment Assist works hard to take our research and evidence-informed lens on how to look after self and peers alike through its INTERMISSION program.

If you would like to help us continue to support our work or make a regular gift please make a tax-deductible donation here.

If you would like to read the full report detailing the experience of Australian entertainment industry workers during COVID-19, it will be available by close of business today, Monday 11 October.

Julia Edwards

General Manager, Entertainment Assist