More Than a Helpline: Building a Collaborative Mental Health Model for the Arts

As mental health and wellbeing become central to sustainable work in the arts, more organisations are beginning to ask: Are we doing enough to support our people?

In response, many teams are turning to wellbeing resources—like the Support Act Helpline or Arts Wellbeing Collective (AWC) toolkits—to provide that support. These initiatives are incredibly valuable, but they are not designed to replace a dedicated Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or comprehensive wellbeing partner.

Instead, the most effective approach is collaborative—one that weaves together services like Hey Mate, Support Act, and legacy AWC tools into a full-circle strategy that actually meets the needs of today’s creative workforce.