A new mental health and well-being support programme for artists, staff and volunteers developed and coordinated by Playwell is being piloted at the Pleasance Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Pleasance x PlayWell Pilot Support Programme will include a mental health clinic for Pleasance participants, facilitated by mental health organisation Artist Wellbeing.
There will also be a series of workshops themed around well-being and facilitated by Pleasance artists, staff and volunteers.
In addition, PlayWell founder Lauren Silver will be on call at Pleasance throughout the festival to provide mental health first-aid support and signposting advice.
Silver, who also works as a clown, hopes to roll out the programme across multiple fringe venues in future years.
She said: “For many years, participants at the fringe – whether performing, stage managing, producing, working at box-office or volunteering – inevitably experience the pressure the festival can put on both their pockets and their mental health and well-being.
“Suffering under this pressure is still an expected and accepted part of the fringe experience.”
Silver added: “Having been an artist at the fringe for over 15 years and with the many years of experience gained from the Pleasance team, offering this programme as a preventative measure is sure to be of comfort to the participants – simply knowing that this support is free and available to them if they need it.”
As well as providing reactive support for those experiencing mental health difficulties during the fringe, the scheme also aims to offer preventative care, which focuses on providing support before people reach a crisis point.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Resilience Fund supports the initiative.
As featured in The Stage: https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/mental-health-support-programme-to-be-piloted-at-pleasance-during-fringe
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