Through A Different Lens: Employment Support & Advice for Freelancers

Through A Different Lens: A collaborative workshop by BAPAM and Attitude is Everything for performing artists with neurodivergent traits, differences (and diagnoses) associated with ADHD.

BAPAM has been contacted by many neurodivergent creative industry professionals seeking ADHD- specific support.

We recognise that increased support is needed to embrace, understand, and make adaptations for people who think, learn, process, and experience the world and their environment in a different way to their ‘neurotypical’ peers.

We also acknowledge the complexity and vastness of the umbrella term neurodiversity, and understand that whether formally diagnosed or not, individual differences play a fundamental role in how we experience our environment, as well as the challenges and barriers that we face.

Partnering with Attitude is Everything, a charity connecting disabled people with the music and live event industries to improve access together, we developed a programme for people with neurodivergent traits , whether formally diagnosed, on a waiting list for a formal assessment, or wanting to explore alternative support and strategies to a formal assessment and diagnosis.

The workshops are facilitated by industry experts with lived experience and/or professional understanding of neurodiversity and ADHD. The workshops cover some of the key areas, challenges and barriers that performing artists with traits and diagnoses of ADHD have shared with us. The wider research also indicates that the topics covered in this series may be helpful when delivering a support provision for those with ADHD.

Employment Support and Specialist Advice for Freelancers

Separate studies from Attitude is Everything and Harbourside Management have both shown that around 2/3 of people in the music and live events industry with non-visible impairments or health conditions regularly put their health and wellbeing at risk due to concerns around disclosing their conditions.

Developed and facilitated by Attitude is Everything, this session gives the opportunity to discuss the barriers that people with ADHD can encounter in the workplace or their place of study and share ideas for addressing them as well as discussing the subject of disclosure and how we can build an industry where more neurodivergent people can feel safe disclosing their condition with their employers.

BAPAM’s purpose is to improve health in the performing arts and support enhanced performance excellence through wellbeing and good practice.

BAPAM deliver expert health and wellbeing services in the performing arts. Our events give artists, creators, technicians, teachers, and organisers the knowledge they need to improve health and enjoy sustainable careers.

As the largest provider of career-specific healthcare to performers in the UK, we are uniquely positioned to bring together expert clinicians, educators, researchers, artists and creators to deliver innovative training to empower the arts community to improve and maintain health throughout our creative work and learning spaces.

A ttitude is Everything connect disabled people with music and live event industries to improve access together. Attitude is Everything’s Beyond the Music project seeks to create a more accessible music and live events industry for professionals, freelancers and employees who are deaf, disabled, neurodivergent or have a long-term physical or mental health condition.