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Crowdfunder launched for touring mental health book
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 6 September 2019
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to produce a book aimed at musicians looking to improve their mental wellbeing on tour, titled ‘The Touring & Mental Health Manual’. Once funded the book will be created by The Music Industry Therapist Collective – a group of psychotherapists all of whom formerly worked in music – with contributions from various other experts in the field of mental health and music.
“Touring can be a highly rewarding and exhilarating experience”, says MITC founder Tamsin Embleton – formerly a festival and venue booker. “But it can also be very stressful to mind, brain and body with difficulties ranging from drug-induced psychosis, performance anxiety, addiction, burn-out, conflict, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, issues around identity, loneliness, disrupted sleep patterns and insomnia, trauma, relationship difficulties and post-tour depression”.
She goes on: “‘The Mental Health & Touring Manual’ will provide a one stop shop of psychoeducation, guidance and vignettes from clinicians, musicians and tour managers on how best to cope on the road. We’ll help you identify and assess risk, open up conversations about mental health and plan for a healthy tour”.
Contributors to the book will include Dr Dianna Kenny and Dr Paula Thompson, both of whom have researched clinical issues faced by performers. Thompson identified in research last year that artists with experience of childhood trauma are often some of the most intense and engaging onstage, but also most in need of support off it.
The crowdfunding campaign to produce the book has set a target of £21,774 to cover the costs of producing and promoting the guide. There are various perks in return for chipping in, including copies of the finished publication, a place on a tour manager training weekend, and your company featured as a sponsor. Find out more and put in some money here.
