Got Your Back Issue #1

got y O uR Ba c K

Editor’s note

You’ve probably heard the phrase, ‘the show must go on’. In the face of sick actors, lost props, a global pandemic – the show must go on, and the audience can’t know that it was ever in question it wouldn’t.

It’s a sentiment that puts a lot of pressure on actors, writers, directors, and stage crew alike. There are no second takes in theatre. So how do we put forward our best selves every night, despite what might be going on behind the scenes?

It takes a lot of care, a lot of time, and a lot of practice. As young, emerging practitioners in the arts industry, we often feel the pressure to push on and say yes to every opportunity. We want to learn through as many experiences as we can find, build connections and do meaningful work. All that is important, but to ensure that you can take each opportunity to its fullest, making time to remain physically and mentally healthy is vital.

The Got Your Back Campaign puts a focus on mental health in the arts, giving you the resources you need to lead a balanced, mentally enriching life in conjunction with your practice. The testimonials you’ll read in this eZine are from young artists from all walks of life, who have found a safe space to express themselves. I find commonality in these statements; the inclusive, collaborative environment that WAYTCo promotes means that no one gets left behind, it’s safe to experiment and go big knowing that your teachers, classmates and ensemble will support you.

To learn more about joining WAYTCo, see the back page. We’ve got your back. Now go out there and be brilliant.

Grace Chow

I hope you are keeping well. I’ve been asked to write a bit about mental health and the arts. Which is an interesting task for me! I could list all the brilliant things that the arts has done for my brain space: a tribe, an escape, an expressive space to unpack my questions and delve into the complexities of life. In fact, I don’t know why I said ‘could list’ because really, I just did list. And all of these things are very true. They are great gifts. They are powerful gifts. They will be good gifts for your mental health, as they are mine. However, having an arts practice, particularly when it is your vocation, can also bring you some darker things too. Things that aren’t so great. Stress, burnout, doubt, a workload… maybe even anxiety or depression. And questions! So many questions, like: Is my art good enough? Am I good enough? Will I meet the deadline? How much am I being paid (if at all)? Do people care? Why am I doing this?

And these are all massive questions to ask in a 200 word entry of a little zine…

And so allow me to attempt a little advice with all the wisdom of a 22 year old. First, make work that nourishes yourself foremostly and also the world. Make work that sets your flame alight and your fascination afoot. Walk your arts practice, whatever that may be, with rigour yes, but also from a place of kindness, restedness and honesty. And maybe some slowness. These things are good guides to keep your mind and heart and art well. And if you find yourself in a darker place where you do ask the questions above… try to answer them. But with that same philosophy of kindness, restedness, rigour and honesty that you make with. Perhaps these darker things can also be powerful gifts.

‘What mental health lows can feel like some days…’

by Grace Chow

Photos: left by Stewart Thorpe, above and cover by David Cox

WAYTCo

WAYTCo provides world class performance and arts experiences by creating a supportive community that helps people to build a career & life skills at the same time.

Ella Peeters

“Working on Beside was an incredibly fulfilling and fun experience. We warmed up together, sang together, debriefed after the show and went home happily tired. There was plenty of support throughout rehearsals and the show, and I’ve met some amazing people and industry leaders, giving me the opportunity to make my own work.”

Adam Kelly

“At times when I felt the world was going a bit dark, [WAYTCo] brought light and creativity… who wouldn’t want to make the world a better place? I’ve never heard an argument against it.”

Excerpt from BESIDE 2020: “If you have ever heard the sound of a dragon crying themselves to sleep, you would know it. It’s unmistakable… like a thunderstorm that has lost its way, trapped amongst mountains and clouds, echoing on and on until almost the end of time.”

Nashy MZ Rick Radalj

“My highlight [is] the 24 Hour Play Generator. The idea of how much work that you can put within that one day, and how we all just worked together. No matter how exhausted we are, the energy we try to keep up with one another… just to be like, hey, let’s do this, it’s amazing.”

“By the time the day was finished, and I went home and was able to tell my mum about how it all went, I was able to tell my parents that people saw me as me. Rick as Rick. Rick at face value… I was in a new place with new people who all accepted me for being me.”

Photos by David Cox, Jessica Wyld (top left) and Georgi Ivers (bottom left). Dragon art by Adam Kelly.

BENEFITS

This means membership of WAYTCo is open to ALL 13 to 26 year-old Western Australians, and that company directors are directly elected by the membership. It’s even a ruling in the WAYTCo Constitution.

During the COVID pandemic, WAYTCo waived youth membership fees in a gesture of acknowledgement of the hardship the pandemic brought. For company governance & sustainability reasons, it is now essential that we reinstate paid membership. Sign up today to support WAYTCo, knowing that ‘We’ve Got Your Back.’

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