Entertainment Assist Magazine - Issue 2 - June 2021

ISSUE 2 - JUNE 2021
MAGAZINE
2020 Isolation for
me was a time to
reflect, reset and
rejuvenate. I took
the opportunity to
look inwards and
really think about
my journey so far,
my connection with
my ancestors and
my place in this
crazy world.
THE SHOW
MUST GO ON
HEIDI VICTORIA’S
NEW BOOK
& HOW SHE FOUND THE
SILVER LINING DURING COVID
ISAIAH FIREBRACE
Singer/Songwriter
entertainmentassist.org.au
RESEARCH, AWARENESS & EDUCATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH & 1WELLBEING IN THE AUSTRALIAN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

THANKS TO OUR
SUPPORTERS
Major Donors:
Founding Donor:
entertainmentassist@gmail.com
@entertainmentassist
@entertainmentassist
@EntertainAssist
Entertainment Assist
500 Chapel Street South Yarra VIC 3141
Mob: 0419 382 762
Entertainment Assist Magazine is owned and published
in print and electronically by Entertainment Assist.
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic or printed
magazine may be reproduced without the written
consent of Julia Edwards, General Manager. Requests
for permission should be directed to: Julia Edwards at
Julia.edwards@entertainmentassist.org.au
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WELCOME TO ISSUE 2
IT DOESN’T GO
AWAY...
While many in the community start to resume a more
‘normal’ life, there is still much to be done, particularly in
the arts and entertainment sector as we build our roads to
recovery.
And when it comes to mental health and wellbeing, there is
so much that needs to be done before we can even begin to
resume where we were before the pandemic. We must never
forget that even before 2020, the alarming statistics around
the mental health and wellbeing of people working in the
unique environment of the arts and entertainment industry.
This will not go away as we recover from the pandemic.
This is about everyone in the industry; from the high profile
entertainers to the technicians and support crews, many of
whom were not entitled to available funding and are still
waiting to return to their part-time roles.
The impact on so many in the industry has been simply
devastating and has added to the serious issues faced by
many. Now, more than ever, we must work to reduce and
prevent the mental health issues in our industry. We all have
an important role to play in supporting the mental health and
wellbeing of those around us.
Still faced with uncertainty, we are now offering our
flagship mental health program INTERMISSION, for
individuals and workplaces around Australia. There
has never been a more important time for mental
health and wellbeing support for the industry.
I encourage all
workplaces to work with
our qualified trainers to raise
awareness about mental
health and wellbeing within
their workforce, ensuring
workers are educated to
be aware of their own
mental wellbeing as well as
supporting their peers.
If you would like to attend INTERMISSION or to
arrange a workshop at your workplace, please
contact us: entertainmentassist@gmail.com
Through ongoing research, Entertainment Assist understands
these needs and continues to develop programs to provide
the much-needed assistance for individuals and their families
and friends.
We need our people
to be prepared and at
their best as we build for
a better future for the
sector.
JULIA EDWARDS
General Manager, Entertainment Assist
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A NOTE OF
THANKS
FOR A VERY SPECIAL EVENING.
W
e just wanted to express our sincere thanks for
your support of the Josh Piterman & Friends
Concert at Hidden Valley Resort on Saturday 2
January 2021.
We could not have staged this event without your support
and generosity.
The night itself was a great success in raising awareness for
the work of Entertainment Assist and some much-needed
funds that will go towards the delivery of Entertainment
Assist’s Intermission program.
We appreciate everyone’s help to make this happen
amongst the intricacies of our COVID restrictions and
a special shout out to our wonderful artists - Josh, John
Foreman, Lisa Edwards and Bobby Fox - who sang and
played the roof off!
Entertainment Assist also had the pleasure of
hosting our friends and supporters to the exciting
energy and re-opening of Melbourne’s sensational
Come From Away production. Once again this
exceptional musical did not fail in achieving some
emotional and joyful attendance by all.
Please accept our heartfelt thanks again and please
continue to support the work of Entertainment
Assist.
As we work towards opening up
our entertainment industry once
more keep safe and well in 2021.
DAVID MANN AM
Chairman
Entertainment Assist
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The positive mental
health and wellbeing
of our industry peers
are important to all of
us. It’s time to tell the
government what’s
really going on in the
entertainment industry.
We will inform the Commonwealth to get muchneeded
support for improved mental health across our
industry. We will highlight the gaps to be addressed for
improved workplace wellness with the AAWE alliance.
The Australian Alliance for Wellness in Entertainment
(AAWE) has developed a Statement of Values to work
together highlighting respect, integrity, empathy,
courage and collaborative leadership.
Right now we have been working with our advisory
group to map the mental health education resources
that were available to individuals, employees guilds
and peak bodies pre and post Covid to provide
one resource that captures this information.
You can download this mapping PDF from the
Entertainment Assist website and it will take you
directly to the source with a click of your mouse!
entertainmentassist.org.au/education-and-training
Together we can make noise, together we can
create change.
AAWE RESEARCH
WE NEED
YOUR STORY
TO CONTINUE
TO TELL THE
STORY…
Take The Survey Now!
Share your reflections and experience of the impact.
As part of the Australian entertainment industry, we need
you to share your reflections on the impact of Covid -19.
Your role in matters whether you are a performer, crew,
producer, writer, camera, promoter etc, you all count in
telling the story.
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Entertainment Assist through the AAWE [Australian
Alliance for Wellness in Entertainment] is asking that as
many people in the Entertainment industry as possible
to complete the survey on the impact of Covid-19 12
months on. This is a vital piece of research to progress
the knowledge of our mental health landscape ahead.
The survey will take less than 15 mins to complete. EA
unique link https://bit.ly/2NizUuV

FEATURE STORY
HEIDI VICTORIA
FINDING THE
SILVER LINING
Q1: Thanks for chatting with EA magazine. How are you and
where are you right now?
I’m very well thank you. I’m having a celebratory glass
of wine at my new pop-up gallery in Collins Place,
Melbourne in my newest photographic exhibition “Where
To Next?”. It’s all about aspirational travel - France, USA,
Cuba, Egypt, Austria and beyond. After being locked
down during Covid-19, I wanted to inspire people to start
dreaming again of seeing our favorite places around the
globe. My favorite place is Austria as that is where my
family are originally from.
Q2: Tell us about your new book. What inspired you to create
‘The Show Must Go On’?
Honestly, when Covid hit us all in the entertainment
industry in March 2020, we were hit hard. I thought to
myself “If I can’t work, what is everyone else doing as
well”. So I decided to meet, photograph and capture the
lives of a small cast of our industry members and see
how they were handling being out of work and what they
were doing, knowing what is an entrenched mantra in
our business - that the show must go on.
It was tricky navigating some of the border closures, but
when I could, and it was safe to do so, I did get around
to a few States and visit our colleagues
- 72 in fact over a period of three months.
I’m an environmental portrait
photographer and so for me it
was about capturing the new
environments these people found
themselves in, unplanned and as
we say ‘unrehearsed’ and see how
they were coping.
Honestly I was so moved by their
stories and how many found a
‘silver lining’ using their time during
isolation to follow other passions
to support them in keeping their
sanity and hopefulness of better
days to come, all the time without
government financial support (for
so many). We, in the industry, fell
through the cracks of government
assistance and that should never
happen again.
We made the best of it; from farm
life, to mosaics, writing and reliving
childhood games and of course
the lucky ones...spending precious
extra time with their families.
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Callum and Ainsley
were two days out of
making their move back
to NYC.
They now find themselves
tending to animals at
Ainsley’s parents’ home in
country NSW.
The glitz and sparkle of
Broadway might be dark
for now, but it’s never
too far from their minds
as they learn to merge
Broadway magic with
country life.
Q3: Of all the artists, musicians and living legends
you photographed, what was the one that really
touched your heart and why was that?
Oh my they all did! in different ways. I can’t
tell you which was my favorite (don’t ask
me to do that!), but the show of resilience,
adaptability and creativity was inspiring.
Triple threats, Ainsley Melham and Callum
Francis’ story of going from Broadway to a
farm in Bathurst with their two most divine
horses - Lizzie and Blackie touched my heart.
Being told Broadway had been shut down two
days before you are about to leave Sydney
(and after packing up the house) to return
to dream roles In New York (with Ainsley in
the lead role of Aladdin) would have been
devastating. But somehow they found a new
joy and my portrait of them shows a merging
of the razzle dazzle of Broadway life with
country life.
AINSLEY MELHAM & CALLUM FRANCIS
Triple Threats
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Q4: Can you share a couple of other stories
with us from your book?
Yes would love to… and in reading their
own words, you can’t help but be moved.
AKO KONDO & CHENGWU GUO
Principal Artists
As principal artists of
The Australian Ballet, we spend 8
hours in the ballet studio every day,
and perform 180 shows every year.
During this pandemic, we had to
work from home. It was very hard at
the beginning.
Without being able to do ballet
properly, we felt a part of our souls
were left behind in the studio.
This was the first time we
experienced how it feels to have
the motivation disconnected. At the
same time, we realized there is so
much more in our lives alongside
ballet.
We are the only person who can help
ourselves to decide to be positive
and decide to bravely face the down
times. We strongly feel, in this hard
time, that giving love and care to
each other is the only way to get all
of us through.
Q5: As the former Arts Minister for Victoria and
12 years in politics, what would you like to see
happen to help rebuild our industry coming out of
COVID?
It’s my goal to share this book with
government decision makers to help them
better understand what actually went on
for the The Arts industry and the artists
themselves during Covid and to do my best to
advocate for change in the way we fund and
support The Arts going forward.
“The Arts are essential to our social fabric,
our economic development and I’m not over
stating it, our quality of life.”
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After coming out of the jungle in
February this year, my work diary
was completely full with major
musicals, concerts and festivals.
Of course with COVID 19 all my live
performance has disappeared. The
project that has been occupying my
time is creating mosaics.
I have always loved and collected
coloured glass and adore mosaic
art, so I decided to create a series
of huge mosaics with “an under the
sea” theme to be mounted beside my
swimming pool. I have designed, cut
the glass and grouted the mosaics
completely by myself.
It is a perfect distraction from what’s
going on in the rest of the world at
the moment and a lovely thing to
revisit my inner “creative artist side.”
RHONDA BURCHMORE OAM
Entertainer
Q7: The entertainment industry can provide
some pretty challenging environments to
maintain mental health and wellbeing, what’s
your view on that and work in this area?
The work that Entertainment Assist does is
absolutely world leading in its research and
passion to create change for mental health
and wellbeing for the Arts. The organisation
itself is run so humbly yet produces amazing
outcomes. This book was my mental health
therapy during Covid.
Q8. Where can people go to buy your new book
The Show Must Go On?
Well I want to firstly thank Entertainment
Assist for their generous support of me and
this book and pleased to say some of the
proceeds from this book go back to helping
continue the funding of the great work of
Entertainment Assist.
You can buy a copy from
www.heidivictoria.com.au
Q9: And before you go…
Q. Still or sparkling?
Still.
Q. Autumn or Spring?
Autumn.
Q. Come From Away or Kinky Boots?
Both are my absolute faves.
Q. Dare to dream or Need to know
Dare to dream.
Q6: If there was one message of hope you could
give our entertainers right now, what would that be?
I salute you. I salute your tenacity,
endurance and ability to manage uncertainty
day-in day-out.
Thanks Heidi
heidivictoria.com.au
@HeidiVictoria
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TAILORED
EDUCATION
FOR AUSTRALIAN ENTERTAINMENT
INDUSTRY WORKERS
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As we work our way back on the road to recovery
our Entertainment workers need to take care of
their own mental health. The unstabling events
around Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on
our people at all levels. Entertainment Assist provided
as much free content and online resources as possible
during this time but as industry commences opening up,
empowering productivity and performance capacity will
be paramount.
INTERMISSION, the program has been developed using
evidence-based research, and specialist health presenters,
to provide interventions that focus on reducing the unique
stressors of working in the Australian entertainment
industry. With a “prevention-first” lens, INTERMISSION
aims to enable industry workers to self-manage and
support others through practical frameworks, facilitation,
resources, support pathways and professional services.
I would like this course to
be delivered to all creative
educators and I would
also like to do it again!”
The INTERMISSION program is tailored specifically
to address the needs of the Australian entertainment
industry and further customised to focus on individual
industry segments.
Your presentation was one
of the best I have seen.
You were engaging and funny
and delivered a powerful
message. I had no issue with
any extra time as the group
were so well engaged with
your presentation on what
is greatly under-discussed
subject.
Managing and seeing signs symptoms of
people I know, and better knowing how to
approach them and their situations.
Participants can expect learning outcomes that include
better mental health literacy, an ability to identify
common mental health challenges, ways to have
effective conversations, effective self-care strategies,
peer to peer management tools and identification
resources and pathways to support. Presented in the
style of storytelling and analogy, INTERMISSION, is
a highly engaging and positive program that’s both
educational and entertaining!
If you would like to know more about program delivery
at your workplace to create meaningful workplace
change, get in touch: entertainmentassist@gmail.com
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