Hello. I wanted to take a moment to engage with you reading this human to human. Landing on a page of information or support can sometimes feel like the light at the end of a tunnel. But it can also feel overwhelming and daunting. All those thoughts and feelings are valid. So, if you’ve landed here and are reading this right now, I see and appreciate you.

Applause for thought is a community that has grown and evolved from a thought baby I had in September 2018 that was birthed from my lived experience as a creative who also has a dual mental health disorder diagnosis. At AFT we appreciate individuals are indeed that…individual. This is why we aim to create safe, empowering and empathetic spaces for all within the arts, whether that be through; our links to 121 support, at one of our talks or workshops, during our accredited mental health training courses, or when we work with organisations.

We strongly believe that real change within the arts community can only come if we work together proactively. Our Mental Health is forever changing and being tested, or conversely nurtured at different points in our life, just like our physical health. Therefore, our aim is to facilitate as many accessible opportunities as possible for people to be able to develop their own unique tools and coping mechanisms as they navigate our industry, as well as working on preventative and proactive blueprints with organisations that we hope will change both organisational and wider industry culture.