Wellbeing Facilitators (WBFs)
Poor mental health has been recognised as a serious problem across the creative industries for many years and well before the pandemic. It has led to many people abandoning or seriously considering leaving the sector.
A strong desire to do something positive to support the current workforce and to make the industry safer for new entrants led to CULT Cymru and 6ft from the Spotlight CIC to commit to working together in piloting the WellBeing Facilitator (WBF) role starting with Wales’ growing screen sector.
The aim of the WBF is to:
- Provide information and support to producers and heads of department on how to prevent stress, mental health issues, bullying, harassment and discrimination enabling them to meet their legal duty of care to the workforce
- Support all crew and cast with challenges including stress, mental health, bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Funding was secured via Creative Wales and the Welsh Broadcasting Trust to train Wales based WBFs (see below) and Creative Wales are now supporting a pilot that is enabling Independent Production Companies to place a WBF on their productions.
“Wales’ hard working, dedicated and talented creative workforce deserve to work in an industry where they feel safe, receive fair terms and conditions and are able to meet their full potential.
Our longer term aim is to develop a sustainable screen sector fit for the 21st century that is fair, inclusive and innovative so that the creative industries in Wales become a destination of choice for creative workers and companies”.
Siân Gale, CULT Cymru’s Skills & Development Manager