Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin, has announced funding of €300,000 for Minding Creative Minds.

The injection of funds arrives as part of the Safe to Create Programme, and brings the Department’s overall allocation for the Safe to Create Programme to €782,000.

Since 2020, the service has facilitated in the region of 1,600 hours of emotional, wellbeing and practical support. They have also offered specialist trauma and abuse counselling care for anyone who has suffered serious trauma or sexual abuse, as well as providing up to 12 free counselling sessions from a trauma counsellor - plus comprehensive career and mentoring services.

Minding Creative Minds is Ireland’s first 24/7 mental health and wellbeing support programme for the Irish Creative community delivered in association with Spectrum Life. With services running across 32 counties and for Irish overseas, Minding Creative Minds host a 24/7 dedicated phone line (ROI: 1800 814 244, NI/UK 0800 0903677, International 00353 15180277).

Other services include:

• Counselling service (Short term intervention)
• Telephone counselling
• Secure video counselling
• 24/7 specialist trauma & abuse counselling
• Extensive web portal & app enabling live chat function with a counsellor
• By texting ‘Hi’ to 087 3690010 for SMS & WhatsApp support (standard rate applies) with a qualified psychotherapist/counsellor.

Dr Emelina Ellis, Dave Reid and Minister Catherine Martin at the Safe To Create programme announcement. Credit: Mark Stedman

With the launch of the Safe to Create Programme last October, Minding Creative Minds announced an enhancement of its service to include specialist trauma and abuse counselling care. This service enables crucial support for anyone who has experienced trauma or sexual abuse and ensures that they can access immediate support and up to 12 free counselling sessions from a trauma counsellor immediately.

Minding Creative Minds offers a range of other in-house services to the Irish Creative Sector which includes a comprehensive Career and Mentoring service incorporating all creative art forms and a monthly peer support meeting which offers support, advice and resources to the Irish Creative Community.

The Minding Creative Minds programme includes access to a number of additional services to help users overcome various practical issues they may face including:

• Advice on practical, day-to-day issues that cause anxiety and stress.
• Legal Assistance – Consultation with Irish solicitors including those specialised in family law matters, property conveyancing and other legal matters.
• Financial Assistance & Consumer Assistance – Consultation with qualified financial advisors who can offer advice on household budgeting, borrowing/debt management, retirement planning, saving & investments.
• Career Guidance & Life Coaching – Access a panel of career coach specialists for career guidance.
• Support for non-Irish nationals & their families – helping to make the transition into the Irish system as smooth as possible.
• Mediation Services – Help with disputes in the workplace, or issues related to family business, defective goods & services, building & construction.

Announcing the funding, Minister Martin stated:

“Minding Creative Minds provides an invaluable service to the Irish creative sector and I am delighted to be able to provide funding to Minding Creative Minds as part of the Safe to Create Programme. Since 2020, over 1,200 people have contacted Minding Creative Minds and the service has facilitated in the region of 1,600 hours of support.

The Safe to Create Programme which I launched in October of last year, is built on the stark findings of The Speak Up: A Call for Change Report. The Speak Up report included key findings that the majority of those surveyed had experienced (70%) or witnessed (53%) harmful behaviour. Minding Creative Minds is working closely with the Irish Theatre Institute, is an integral part of the Safe to Create Programme and is helping to lead the way to improving the damaging norms in the arts sector for the benefit of all arts workers.”

Minding Creative Minds Founder Dave Reid expressed his gratitude at the receipt of more funding.

“The Department’s continued funding of Minding Creative Minds will enable us to expand and increase our service offering to the Irish Creative Sector which already includes a 24/7 helpline / counselling service and career, financial and legal advice. Our in-house mentoring service has provided over 1500 mentoring hours to over 500 mentees involving 80 mentors across all art forms.

In October we launched an enhanced counselling service for anyone who has suffered serious trauma or sexual abuse. With this funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and our other partners, we look forward to being able to continue to support the needs and aims of the Irish Creative sector to include emotional, wellbeing and practical support.”

For more information, visit mindingcreativeminds.ie.