OUR STORY

We are ‘The Musician’s Health and Wellness Initiative’ (within the Music Department of the University of York); an organisation which promotes the use of students as advocates for the welfare and mental wellbeing of their fellow musicians.

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The initiative was born in response to the statistic that 80% of musicians suffer from stress, anxiety and/or depression; a statistic which has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, since our conception in the 2020/21 academic year, we have strived to end the stigma surrounding mental health by starting conversations about musician’s welfare, provide confidential pastoral peer support informed by training, and signpost other services available, equipping students with the knowledge needed to practice wellness in their lives.

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Alongside this, we have been fundraising for local mental health charities, such as York Mind, as well as campaigning for legislation change. Our most recent campaign is aimed at making Mental Health First Aid training a legal requirement for all university teaching staff, in order to decrease the worrying trend of rising student suicide following the lockdown period.