Our union-led programme celebrates our Enabling Cultural Change Conference, a major new research report, and continued investment to support workers and employers across Wales.
CULT Cymru is a partnership between the creative industries’ trade unions led by Bectu, in partnership with Equity, Musicians’ Union and Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, and we’re proud to announce continued support from Welsh Government for 2026-2027. This will enable the next phase of our pioneering work to embed mentally healthy, respectful, and safe working practices across Wales’ TV, film, live events, and arts sectors – ensuring every person feels valued, supported, and able to speak up.
This announcement follows four years of union-led work tackling the pressures affecting creative workers. Freelancers and other workers have too often been expected to absorb long hours, insecurity, bullying, discrimination and unsustainable pressure as a price of working in the industry.
Working in partnership with wellbeing specialists 6ft From The Spotlight CIC, employers and industry bodies, we set out to change that. The evidence shows it is working.
^ Michelle White of 6ft from the Spotlight introduces the Wellbeing Facilitators ^
The Wellbeing Facilitator placements and training programme has attracted international interest, with Wales becoming increasingly recognised as a leader in developing safer and more sustainable working practices across the sector. With continued union collaboration, industry commitment and Welsh Government support, we aim to ensure that wellbeing, worker voice and fair working practices become embedded across the sector – not treated as optional extras.
Enabling Cultural Change in the Creative Industries
In March 2026, CULT Cymru brought together unions, employers, broadcasters, workforce representatives and industry partners from across the UK for its Enabling Cultural Change Conference.
The conference celebrated the progress made while reinforcing the growing consensus across the industry that mentally-healthy workplaces depend on fair working conditions, accountable leadership and workers having a genuine voice.
Discussions focused on the need for long-term cultural change across the creative industries; ensuring that safety, dignity and inclusion are treated as essential parts of production practice rather than optional extras. Industry organisations covering the UK participated in the event.
The conference provided an opportunity to launch CULT Cymru’s ‘Uniting for Healthier Productions’ research report by Jess Lancashire (March 2026) documenting the development of the Wellbeing Facilitator programme.
The report underlines what unions and workers have long argued: poor mental health at work cannot be separated from insecure employment, inequality, unrealistic workloads and unsafe workplace cultures. It confirms that wellbeing is not a “soft” issue but a structural one requiring industry-wide solutions and collective responsibility. It is essential reading for anyone working in or commissioning screen productions in Wales.
Since 2022, over 50 TV and film productions across Wales have been supported by trained Wellbeing Facilitators (WBFs) an impartial role that helps build genuinely safer working environments.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with over 95% of producers and workers stating that they would want a WBF on future productions.
Freelancer feedback was also positive:
“There’s a tendence for employers not to take much responsibility for the health and wellbeing of freelance workers. But, especially in a workplace that puts an emphasis on accuracy and working quickly and to a tight deadline, this step is to be welcomed”.
Key Programme Activities Include:
- Well-being Facilitators (WBFs) embedded on TV and film productions to guide employers and support workers.
- Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for live events and music venue staff and freelancers
- Training in Mental Health, Wellbeing, and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) for employers and workers across the sector.
- Sharing and celebrating best practice throughout the industry.
Simon Curtis, Equity and Chair of BEAU (Broadcasting, Entertainment and Arts Union) Cymru said:
“Across the creative industries, far too many workers have experienced long hours, insecurity and workplace cultures where speaking up about pressure, bullying or poor mental health can feel risky. That is especially true for freelancers, who often move from contract to contract without the protections many workers in other sectors take for granted.
What makes this programme significant is that it recognises wellbeing as an industry issue, not an individual failing. The Wellbeing Facilitator model is helping productions build healthier working environments where concerns can be raised earlier, workers feel listened to and employers are betterequipped to meet their duty of care responsibilities.
Equity is proud to be part of a union-led partnership that is helping to drive real cultural change across Wales’ creative industries. Safe and respectful working conditions are not separate from creative success — they are essential to it.”
Manon Lewis Owen, Training and Human Resources Manager, Rondo Media & CULT Cymru Advisory Group member said:
“Following a successful pilot scheme, we at Rondo are committed to providing a Wellbeing Facilitator service across our productions and for our staff. The presence of the Wellbeing Facilitator has contributed to fostering a more open and supportive working culture, where individuals feel more confident in sharing their experiences and asking for help when needed.”
Michelle White, 6ft From the Spotlight Co Director, said:
For the past six years, we have worked in partnership with CULT Cymru to develop and embed the role of the Wellbeing Facilitator across Wales. This has been an incredibly valuable collaboration, through which we have trained a growing network of professionals, supported more than 50 productions, and built significant momentum around welfare, mental health and wellbeing within Wales’ freelance creative community.
Through this work, Wales has positioned itself at the forefront of best practice and innovation in embedding wellbeing into production processes.
Siân Gale, Skills & Development Manager, CULT Cymru said:
“Wales’ creative sector makes a vital contribution to our economy, culture and the wellbeing of our citizens. This social partnership approach, where Welsh Government, unions, employers and industry bodies work collaboratively provides a unique opportunity to radically change the culture of the industry so that Wales becomes a destination of choice for creative businesses and the workforce due to its fair and inclusive working practices’.
Llyr Morus, TAC Chair said:
TAC is delighted by the news that CULT Cymru has secured funding to continue its pioneering work in supporting wellbeing across Wales’ creative industries.
The Wellbeing Facilitators scheme has been an excellent example of how collaboration between industry bodies, unions and employers can make a real difference in supporting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
I am very pleased that several TAC members have benefitted from the scheme, which plays an important role in ensuring safe, healthy and fair working environments on productions.
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CULT Cymru has also launched Engaging Creative Freelancers, a new bilingual best practice guide designed to strengthen the working lives and wellbeing of the workforce.
It brings together practical, real‑world approaches that help organisations work more fairly and supportively with freelancers, creating conditions that make creative work more sustainable.
Shaped by union guidance and the experiences of freelancers themselves, the guide shows how small, thoughtful changes from engagers and organisations can have a transformative impact on wellbeing, safety, equity and fair work:
CULT Cymru (Creative Unions Learning Together) is a partnership between trade unions Bectu, Equity, the Musicians’ Union and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain funded by Welsh Government through the Wales Union Learning Fund and Creative Wales.
6ft from the Spotlight – a community interest company bringing best practice approaches and wellbeing directly into production.