The Yorkshire Academy of Film and Television Acting (YAFTA) has teamed up with world leading creative network, Mandy to support the acting community with a new advice column aimed at supporting their mental health questions and issues.
YAFTA Managing Director, Charlotte Armitage who is studying for a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and on the board of two mental health charities, will be providing advice and insight to actors who get in contact via the new advice column, specifically on questions relating to their mental health.
Charlotte said: “I’m delighted to start this new regular column with Mandy. Working with actors for many years, and having been one myself, I am more than aware of the issues faced by those working in the industry. It is an amazing sector to work in, with some real highs and benefits but it’s also an industry that can be quite isolating, and both emotionally and mentally challenging. This partnership is a way of encouraging people to share their experiences and hopefully will help others with the advice and support they need.”
Abigail Longstaffe, Business Development Manager from Mandy adds: “We are really excited about this new partnership with YAFTA. We’re worked together on a number of campaigns over the years but this is a great opportunity to offer practical advice and encouragement to those working in the industry on a subject that deserves recognition and support. With Charlotte’s experience and training, we’re confident our readers will find the new column a really useful addition to our network.”
Mandy published research last year which highlighted the mental health challenges faced by those working in the creative sector including actors and film and TV crew. The report’s findings included 63% of women and 48% of men surveyed struggling with anxiety. It also found that 59% of women and 61% of men suffer from stress, while 37% of women and 36% of men say they have had depression.
The new column will go live in March 2019 on the Mandy website, and people are invited to submit their questions online.
