Thanks to a partnership with The Christopher Meredith Foundation, we are very pleased to offer two AIF member UK festivals the opportunity to have a fully-funded Music Support Safe Hub at your festival in 2024.
Below you will find further details on what our Safe Hub activity entails, our requirements and the application form.
Please note applications close on Friday 15th December at 4pm. If you have any questions, please contact Belinda.e@musicsupport.org
ABOUT MUSIC SUPPORT’S SAFE HUB
Our ‘Safe Hubs’ are hosted backstage at music festivals across the country to address the particular needs that can arise on tour and specifically in the festival environment. The Hub provides a safe space for artists and crew to speak confidentially to a fully trained and qualified staff member or volunteer about anything they may be experiencing, or to seek advice about clinical signposting for themselves or others. Safe Hubs are also an alcohol and drug free environment where visitors can simply come to take a break. Click here for further details on our Safe Hub activity including feedback from artists, crew and volunteers.
WHAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN A SAFE HUB:
STAFF: 4 x staff – Music Support core team and volunteers
All staff and volunteers are trained by a Learning and Development specialist and addiction counsellor. Their training includes Mental Health First Aid, Addiction and Recovery Awareness and Self-Care.
Music Support’s team will be on site each day between 11am – 6pm. As well as offering the safe hub space we also raise general awareness of the charity and our services to artists and crew through informal conversations and the provision of flyers.
Staff costs include 2 x training days and up to 3 x festival days (to include travel, food & drink and accommodation) as well as a main point of contact to coordinate logistics in the lead-up, during and post-event.
ASSETS PROVIDED BY MUSIC SUPPORT:
- Pull up banners x 2 (1.5m wide x 2m high)
- Posters we will send you an agreed allocation of posters (sized A4 – A2) in advance that should be put up by your teams in key backstage locations once the site is built (e.g. production offices, dressing rooms, crew/artist catering and toilets). These include details of our core services and are incredibly effective in raising awareness to both artists and crew
- Flyers The Safe Hub team will bring an allocation of flyers with them to the festival to distribute to those who visit the Hub AND an allocation for key backstage areas (e.g. production offices, dressing rooms and crew/artist catering)
- Music Support T-shirts worn by the team to ensure we stand out and are approachable
REQUIREMENTS:
Please note the following items are not included within our current budget based upon the assumption that the festival will be able to provide for us:
- A small portacabin or marquee in which to house our Safe Hub
- Up to 4 x comfortable chairs (or 1 x 2-seater sofa and 2 x chairs) and 1 x table
- Refreshments for visitors where possible (e.g. water at a minimum with tea & coffee and healthy snacks as a bonus)
- Additional dressing where available (e.g. flowers, plants or similar)
- Crew catering (The festival to provide 2 x meal vouchers per day for our team of x 4 to eat lunch and dinner in crew catering)
FURTHER CONDISERATIONS:
For maximum exposure to artists and their crew, the Safe Hub should be located within the main stage artist village / compound (ideally between dressing rooms and artist catering).
The festival should display signs to direct people towards the Hub (n.b. Music Support can supply artwork for print for basic signs showing Music Support logo and directional arrows).
Our team will require a vehicle pass and permission to park 1 x car as close as possible to the location of the Hub.
On the day of our arrival, we will require a short tour of site (via buggy or similar) by our main production contact to introduce us to key contacts and identify all relevant backstage areas and stages (to enable us to maximise our time on site supporting artists and crew).
Our passes should provide access to all backstage areas (with the exception of on stage) to enable us to visit key crew and artist areas each day, ensuring we are supporting as many people as possible.
We would be grateful if you could advise of any special rates with local hotels that we could avail of.
AIF Safe Hub application form
Please note that Music Support will announce the two chosen festival at the AIF Congress in Bristol on 1st February 2024.
ABOUT MUSIC SUPPORT
Music Support is a registered UK charity that helps peers who work in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction. Founded in 2016 by people from within the music industry, our team have all been impacted personally by these issues and seen friends, colleagues and heroes lose their careers, families and even their lives. Our core services include a confidential Helpline, managed by industry peers with lived experience, training in Mental Health First Aid and Addiction and Recovery Awareness to empower individuals to look after the wellbeing of their colleagues (and themselves), and ‘Safe Hubs’ backstage at festivals, providing a space for artists and crew to take time out and speak to Mental Health First Aid trained staff.
Read further information on what we do and view this short film.
About The Christopher Meredith Foundation
At the Christopher Meredith Foundation (CMF) our aim is to partner with carefully selected, specialist charities and organisations within the music industry delivering critical services to those facing mental health challenges. Established in 2021 as a legacy and to honour the memory of Christopher, the CMF seeks to reflect Christopher’s unwavering commitment to, and belief in, the people within the music industry. As an Agent, Festival Director and much-loved member of the live music circuit, Christopher was driven to support the artists and music he cared so deeply about. The CMF acts as an enabler, providing funding to allow our partners to scale their operations and maximise the impact their services can deliver at an individual level. Removing stigmas around mental health and reaching people in crisis are at the forefront of our objectives, whilst helping to support a proactive industry wide culture which truly nurtures its talent and protects all the individuals within its eco systems. For further information visit www.cmfoundation.co.uk