Hey Mate Launches Live Music Mental Health and Wellbeing Initiative

Creative Industries Mental Health and Wellbeing organisation Hey Mate launches their Live Music Mental Health and Wellbeing Initiative LEWP. A new mental health and wellbeing initiative designed to help performers, crew and fans attending live music events with panic attacks and social anxiety.

LEWP is inspired by LIVELIVE an initiative delivered by grammy nominee Lewis Capaldi and Music & You during Lewis’s UK arena tour in early 2020. Hey Mate has consulted with Jack Williamson from Music and You along their two year development journey of LEWP.

First of its kind in Australia, LEWP (Live Event Wellbeing Program), pronounced LOOP, is an integrated wellbeing program providing social and emotional support for event artists, crew, and patrons who may experience anxiety, panic attacks, or having a hard time, Check in points, Buddy System, Workshops on skills to improve well-being, and mindfulness, and activities to make us feel good! (who doesn’t love a dance party?) LEWP helps to build community spirit, wellbeing, inclusion and cohesion at live events

Founder Aimee Davies explains: ‘Everyone deserves to feel supported, seen, valued and heard at live music events including artists, crew and gig goers. LEWP is designed to increase accessibility and inclusion at live music events.After such a challenging time in the creative industries the need has never been more clear’’

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support initiatives front and back of house at live events have been in demand in the US and UK in recent years. The team at Hey Mate have observed these trends to understand the comparison of what is happening in the Australian context.

Aimee further explains: ‘ It is with the backing from major artists and live music events here in Australia which is where we can make the largest impact. Live events should be inclusive for everyone rather than exclusive to those that can make it to show, artists and community should be supported in spite of their mental health challenges rather than be penalized because of it. International acts will be touring Australia soon and they will expect to be able to offer programs like LEWP at their shows. We welcome any expression of interest from Artists and Event Organisers and expect to be booked out with LEWP in 2022. We are stoked to be rolling out LEWP with Listen Up Music at Australia’s largest national mental health music festival Torch Fest in 2022.’

You can catch Hey Mate and LEWP at Australia’s largest national mental health music festival Torch Fest in 2022 as below:

• Torch Fest Sydney – 19 Feb 2022
• Torch Fest Canberra – 5 March 2022
• Torch Fest Melbourne – 26 March 2022
• Torch Fest Brisbane – 10 April 2022

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Background

The Hey Mate Project delivers mental health, wellness support, and education to the music, entertainment, performing arts, and creative industries. Our team of mental health professionals supports artists, industry professionals, companies, and the wider community to improve their mental health and well being.

Our Mission is to bring back that feel-good feeling to the community and industries we support daily through the use of industry and vocation specific support and education.

Our Story:

Our founder, Aimee Davies started her career in sound engineering before embarking on a colourful and varied career throughout creative industries including the opening of a creative studio. During this period Aimee found the therapeutic benefits of the creative industries and the niche issues professionals within the creative industries experience. Aimee found that there was a lack of creative industry experienced medical practitioners to offer preventative and proactive solutions to the challenges her peers were experiencing. After almost half a decade of working in the health sector including community services, integrated therapy services, working with young people who have experienced complex trauma, and graduating as a registered Counsellor. Aimee combined her Therapeutic skills and creative industry experience to create The Hey Mate Project and offer the niche support for the creative industries she has noticed the lack of years prior. This has followed to create our ethos to provide industry and vocation specific creative thinking support that is accessible, proactive, preventative, educational, and industry informed.

Website: www.theheymateproject.com

Phone: 1300 633 147

Email: hello@heymateproject.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheymateproject/

Torch Fest: https://www.listenupmusic.com.au/events/torch-fest/