We Are Finalists for The 2023 Screen Well Awards – Initiative of the Year!
Image shows a bright blue square with a yellow laurel motif inside. Large bold lettering (in white) reads ‘Screen Well 2023’ and (in yellow) ‘Awards’. The subheading below (in white) reads ‘Initiative of the Year Finalist’.
Our research paper, ‘Disability and Screen Work in Australia: Report for Industry 2023’ has been recognised as an outstanding initiative supporting well-being in our industry.
This is a huge honour for us, as we worked tirelessly alongside our comrades at Melbourne Disability Institute (University of Melbourne) to publish this landmark paper, as a free and accessible resource for our peers. Being a finalist for the Screen Well Awards - Initiative of the Year is something that we share with each and every person who participated in the survey and interviews, and told their stories.
We would like to acknowledge and thank the participants of this study who agreed to share their lived experience of disability, their successes, and the barriers they have faced while working in the screen industry. It has been our privilege to give our very best attempt to amplify your voices and promote your experiences for others to hear. We hope that we have done this justice. We humbly centre what we do around you.
Regardless of whether we take home this exciting award, it is our hope that working conditions in the screen industry continue to improve. We dream of a world where disability will be expected. Where diverse mental health realities will be recognised as having cultural value. Where productions will prioritise well-being above all else. We intend to use our research as a benchmark, to measure where we are starting from, and to look back with pride at the positive changes we have made together.
In the spirit of the Screen Well Awards - we invite you to talk with your collaborators about well-being.
Prioritising well-being is something that so few of us do. Making time for self care, sustainable practice and advocating for change feels like something that many of us would love to do - if only we had some more room to breathe in our busy schedules. Asking for what we need, respecting mental health, and feeling safe to bring our whole selves to work really can’t wait. This work is the stuff that slowly shifts the needle of change.
Making sure that your workplace does not cause harm to your or others’ well-being is an important step - one that we believe comes well before formal interventions like ‘Mental Health First Aid’! We can’t wait until someone is visibly in crisis to offer support. Feeling unsupported can affect our work, and our lives at home. These conversations can go a long way towards protecting our well-being and creating a safe workplace that respects mental health.
Our research found that “Disabled screen workers express serious concern about talking with employers and co-workers about disability and accessibility, because many have experienced stigma and prejudice. Disabled workers recommended that employers and collaborators initiate everyday conversations about accessibility with all employees and collaborators.”
Fear of talking about well-being or asking for change is something that many people experience. If there is something you need to do your best work, or that would make your workplace feel safer for you, we recommend that you start by finding a trusted person, and tackle this issue together. It’s likely that your well-being needs align with those around you. Access is something that benefits everyone!
A big thank you to Ben Steele and the team at Screen Well for this exciting nomination and for promoting discussion around mental health and well-being in the screen industry.
Best of luck to the other finalists, and we look forward to being a part of the inaugural awards ceremony on October 10, World Mental Health Day.
If you would like to attend the online awards ceremony for the inaugural Screen Well Awards, please register on the Screen Well website. Simply follow this link and scroll to the bottom of the page to enter your details.
The free online event will take place via Zoom at 9:30am (AEDT) on Tuesday October 10.
If the content of this article has brought up any feelings of discomfort for you, we encourage you to head to the Screen Well website for a list of support services.
You are not alone and your experience matters.