ROCK AGAINST THE STIGMA
Mental Health Event at Redhill Event – an alcohol-free event.
Thursday 11th April 2024
HALT’s work since 2013 has focused on Mental Health Awareness, Suicide Prevention and reducing Stigma – within the trade industries. We encourage help-seeking and aim to demystify what getting help looks like. HALT worker Jem has worked in trades and spent a lifetime working in the music industry. Through this experience, we observed that the challenges faced in trades concerning mental health, are echoed in the music industry – even if they may present differently. The music industry has high rates of suicide, little to no standards surrounding work and pay conditions and high rates of substance issues and abuse in the workplace. The burnout rate is high and there is often no safety net to fall back on.
HALT’s use of speakers with lived experience, speaking openly and honestly about help-seeking, has been effective in engaging with audiences. We’ve seen that when the audience can relate to the speaker, the information is better received. In a Q&A session,Tim Rogers, Nicole Tadpole and Jace Rogers told their own stories of mental health, substance issues and help-seeking within the music industry. Tim Rogers then played a live set for the audience.
Alcohol is so deeply embedded in the Australian music industry that it is hard to imagine music events without it. The image presented publicly is rarely an accurate reflection of reality. Workers feel pressure to live up to an image and alcohol often contributes negatively to their wellbeing. This is why we felt it was important to have this event as an alcohol-free event. And thank you to the Red Hill Hotel for supporting us in this.
Also a big thank you to the speakers and everyone involved in getting this event up and running.
