Features
Addiction & Recovery Awareness Training For Crew Launched In The UK
Xinzheng – Vast amounts of people from this business have been out of work since March 2020.
The situation has been particularly hard on the freelancers, which make up a huge portion of professionals working in live.
UK Tour Production Group (TPG) has commissioned the charity Music Support to deliver addiction and recovery awareness training for touring professionals, who’ve suffered immensely under the coronavirus restrictions put in place since March 2020.
One of TPG’s mental health and personal wellbeing facilitators, tour manager Suzi Green, said, “engagement with our members showed that addiction is one of the biggest challenges touring crew and musicians face.”
Co-ordinated by the TPG, the training is funded through almost £20,000 ($27,000) in donations from Backup Tech, Massive Attack, Hipgnosis Songs, We Need Crew, and Rock-it Cargo.
A bursary scheme has also been created to enable 100 touring freelancers working in the technical and production side of the industry to take the course free of charge.
For touring crew out of work for more than a year now, online support groups and networks have become a vital factor in maintaining their mental health.
– Tour manager Suzi Green.
One of TPG’s mental health and personal wellbeing facilitators.
Formed in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, TPG has hosted weekly online discussions around the various issues faced by the touring industry ever since.
After a number of TPG members completed the organization’s mental health first aid training, a separate course on addiction and recovery awareness seemed appropriate.
“The four-hour course will give participants an introduction to the topic, allowing them to define what addiction and recovery is, understand factors that perpetuate the cycle of addiction, instill confidence in recognizing the signs and symptoms, and will offer guidance about starting conversations aimed at kickstarting an individual’s recovery.
“It explores societal attitudes and associated stigma. The informal session covers the basic neuroscience of addiction and how substances ‘hijack’ the brain, explaining how different drugs work and their link to withdrawal. Attendees will learn the difference between substance abuse, dependence and addiction, how to intervene, and treatment options,” the announcement reads.
Alongside Suzi Green, production manager Nick Gosling serves as mental health and personal wellbeing facilitators at TPG, who highlighted: “Addiction in touring is often ignored, glossed over and covered up. We want to become better equipped to understand the warning signs, and ultimately to know how best to support our colleagues.
“A key aim of the TPG is instigating simple changes in our working methods so that we can better support welfare on the road. After five years of positive impact in our industry, Music Support is the obvious and trusted charity partner.”
Music Support’s Matt Thomas commented: “Raising awareness about the mostly misunderstood condition of addiction and paths to recovery from it, have always been high on Music Support’s agenda, so the creation and launch of this course is a massive milestone.
“The fact that the course was requested and is being funded by the touring industry, shows that attitudes are finally beginning to change. Huge thanks to the funders in particular and to Music Support’s amazing staff for writing and delivering this potentially life-changing service.”
Backup Tech’s John Simpson concluded: “The more freelancers trained in recognizing addiction, the more the touring community can address the need for the wellbeing of their colleagues.”