Support Act & Association of Artist Managers extend Gimme Shelter mental health initiative

Support Act has announced an extension of its Gimme Shelter mental health support program for 2021.

Developed by the Association of Artist Managers (AAM) and supported by the Federal Government, Gimme Shelter is designed to provide early intervention and crisis management tools for artists, industry professionals and crew workers.

Participants involved in the program are able to learn skills around mental health first aid, conflict management, self-care and workplace management, helping to address key areas of concern among music industry workers.

This year's online program will be extended to allow for an additional 48 artist managers to take part in the scheme, with all participants obtaining a three-year Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) accreditation from Makeshift throughout the course.

Registrations for the first round of the extended program are now open for all AAM members, with up to 24 participants being selected to join the scheme.

A second round of the Gimme Shelter program extension for another 24 managers will open later in August.

ie:music's Francesca Riva, a previous participant in the initiative, highlighted the importance of the skills she learnt from the program.

"Being able to openly discuss and understand the dynamics underneath mental health is a skillset that any manager, in whatever field they operate, should have," Riva said.

"Managers should be able to support and suggest resources to their artists as well as learn how to look after their own mental health, and this course gave us a strong toolset to do so.

"It was also a great reminder on how important it is to cut all the unnecessary noise, truly be observant of the signals around us, and the power of empathy, vulnerability and compassion towards your own self and people around you."