
Our Board Co-Chair Lynne Small delivered a comprehensive summary of the FY24 year in her remarks at our AGM in December.
Some highlights include results from our 2024 Mental Health and Wellbeing in Music and the Creative Industries survey, a snapshot of our Crisis Relief Grant program for 2024 and counselling hours utilised through the Wellbeing Helpline, an overview of our prevention and training programs for the year, our key partnerships with Government and other funders, and our financial results for FY24.
Check out the full summary below:
I am pleased to provide this year’s Chair’s report as 2024 draws to a close.
It has again been a very active year for Support Act, and I will touch on a number of initiatives in this report. In September of 2024, we released the results of our 2024 Mental Health and Wellbeing in Music and the Creative Industries survey which indicate that it remains very challenging for many creative workers to make a liveable income from their creative work, with:
- Almost a 5th reporting total annual income below the poverty line,
- 68% noting the high cost of living challenge, and
- 52% reporting burnout and fatigue.
The report found elevated psychological distress among music and creative industry workers, with more than 50% falling into that category. While this is an improvement on the 2022 survey conducted during covid, it is still concerningly high compared to the general population – reported by the ABS at 15%.
These periodic surveys serve as a timely reminder, confirming our own industry experiences, of why Support Act exists and how important its service offerings are for not just the music community, but now for the wider creative sector.
Turning to those services, we are proud to report the last 12 months, over 230 music workers were aided by Support Act with short term financial support, while more than 580 individuals received financial, counselling or referral support. In addition to this, over 2,000 hours of free phone counselling was provided through the Support Act Wellbeing Helpline, with the key presenting issues being anxiety, depression and career concerns.
Of our >230 financial support recipients, over 10% identified as First Nations music workers. Across all of the 230 grants, mental health remained the leading reason for need, followed closely by injury / musculoskeletal issues, oncology and homelessness.
Support Act remains a key source of information for industry colleagues in crisis, with over 350 service users provided with referrals for other services such as financial counselling, grants programs, housing services, GPs, legal aid, domestic violence and sexual assault services and First Nations specialist programs.
Support Act continued to deliver prevention and training programs, offering 10 Mental Health First Aid sessions, 19 Workplace Wellbeing Check Ins, three Wellbeing ‘’Mini’’ sessions, and 18 ‘’Access all Areas’’ (active bystander intervention training) sessions. During the period Support Act also made available access to Suicide Prevention training, Responding with Compassion workshops (for those who may receive disclosures of trauma), Leading with Empathy session, and an online ‘Money Moves’’ course, to promote financial wellbeing.
In addition to this, Support Act’s First Nations programming team facilitated Yarning Strong and Voices Amplified sessions, and delivered bespoke First National Mental Health First Aid training sessions. Importantly, Support Act was invited to lead the First Nationals Music Industry Review, taking up a recommendation from the Raising Their Voices review report. This will be an important piece of work for the organisation over the coming year.
Support Act representatives were also on the ground at a range of music industry events, festivals and conferences – presenting or co-ordinating panels on relevant topics on at least 26 occasions.
We are pleased to have the confidence and support of industry partners to deliver our services. During the period we finalised arrangements with Creative Workplaces through which mental health and wellbeing support and training can be delivered. Similarly arrangements were settled with both Sound NSW and Creative Victoria for the provision of specific services in those States, and we continued to provide dedicated services for music workers in South Australia through our agreement with their Music Development Office
While all of this front-facing work has been going on, in the background Support Act continues to review its processes and systems, to ensure it is well positioned to continue to evolve and enhance its services. Since our last report it has transitioned to a new more efficient CRM, enhanced its tracking and reporting of its programming activities, moved to a more modern fundraising platform (Raisely), to improve the donor experience and optimise reporting, implemented campaign tracking and upgraded the website, to improve accessibility and functionality for our users.
All of the programs and crisis relief support offered are only made possible by the generosity of our supporters – individual, corporate and government. I would like to acknowledge the regular and consistent support of APRA, AMCOS, ARIA, PPCA, Alberts through the Tony Foundation, the Sony Global Social Justice Fund, the JB HiFi Helping Hands workplace giving program, Hilltop Hoods – who generously donate all royalties from their song ‘’I’m Good’’ – and countless other donors, sponsors and supporters, some of whom prefer to remain anonymous.
The 2023 Ausmusic T-Shirt Day campaign raised a record $920k which was achieved with support from key partners Mushroom Creative House, Gildan, AAMI, triple j and Heaps Normal, among many others. We should also recognise the efforts of our outgoing Partnerships Manager – Fundraising, Bec Shand. Bec has grown the campaign significantly during her time with the organisation, and has been a key driver of the recent 2024 campaign which, at this stage looks like replicating the success of 2023. Bec leaves the organisation having contributed to a quantum shift in the standing of that key annual fundraising event.
Members have had the opportunity to review and consider the 2024 finance and audit reports earlier in this meeting, but it is worth noting that Support Act has traversed the shift to a post Covid world well, using accumulated reserves to maintain service levels and invest in fundraising programs and IT infrastructure that will position Support Act to continue to support the industry into the future.
Current predictions for the 2025 financial year see Support Act operating at a modest surplus, with sufficient reserves to ensure program continuity.
Support Act’s impact would not be possible without the dedication of its fantastic team, led by CEO Clive Miller. On behalf of the Board I extend our thanks to each of them, for the very important contribution they make to the wellbeing of our industry.
I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to my fellow board and committee members, for their work over the past year – all generously given on a voluntary basis.
We look forward to continuing our evolution in 2025 – continually reviewing, enhancing and adjusting our service offerings to best support a healthy industry.