'Heal the Healer' project launched: improving mental health in music industry
Monday, January 27, saw the kick-off of 'Heal the Healer,' a new project aimed at improving mental health in the music industry. Thanks to funding from Centre of Expertise Prevention in Health & Social Care, this project, which will last one year, can get underway. Led by Koos Zwaan, professor of Innovation in the Music Industry, a team of researchers, teachers, welfare professionals and professionals from the music industry is working on sustainable solutions to mental health challenges in this sector.
Great urgency
Working in the music industry is not only inspiring, it also comes with risks. According to international research, as many as 70% of those working in the industry struggle with mental health problems, ranging from burnout and anxiety disorders to depression. The cause? A combination of economic uncertainty, performance pressure and a work culture in which stress is often seen as inevitable.
Professor Koos Zwaan explains: “The music industry is a wonderful but also demanding environment. The fact that mental well-being is such a wide-ranging problem became clear to me when I drew up the for the pop sector. Different mental challenges were mentioned from each expertise. With Heal the Healer, we not only want to create awareness, but also develop practical tools and interventions to better support both students and workers. This project offers an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the sector.”
What does Heal the Healer entail?
Heal the Healer focuses on two main pillars:
- Prevention: Increasing the mental resilience of individuals so they are more resilient to the challenges of the music industry.
- Amplition: Improving working conditions by encouraging structural change in the industry.
These interventions are being developed in collaboration with students from three Inholland programs - Haarlem Conservatory of Music, Leisure & Events Management and Creative Business - and together with mental health professionals and coaches. In addition, work field organizations, such as BAM! Popauteurs and Music Managers Forum NL (MMF), are actively involved in testing and implementing the solutions.
Kick-off: inspiration and collaboration
During the kick-off of Heal the Healer, all parties involved came together for the kick-off of the project. Besides exploring the objectives and research design, knowledge was shared. Professor of media studies Mark Deuze (UvA) was a guest and outlined the mental challenges within the creative sector. Inholland alumni Mandy Delaporte and Lucas Garnier shared insights from their thesis research on mental well-being in the dance and pop rock scene, respectively.
The ambition of Heal the Healer extends beyond the music industry. The knowledge and interventions gained can also be of value to other sectors within the cultural and creative industries.
The project contributes to a resilient society by teaching a new generation of professionals to make mental health negotiable while offering concrete solutions. Only by working together can we achieve real change.
