‘The Show Must Go On’: Managing Psychosocial Risk in the Arts

In the demanding world of performing arts, psychosocial risks such as stress, isolation, and job demands aren’t uncommon. For Bangarra Dance Theatre (Bangarra), one of Australia’s leading First Nations performing arts companies, these challenges can be amplified by constant travel and working with an often-transient workforce.

Bangarra engaged Transitioning Well to deliver Workplace Mental Health Coaching (funded by NSW Government) on understanding their WHS obligations and, more importantly, to upskill their people and foster a psychologically safe and healthy workplace.

The Challenge

Bangarra’s unique context brings a complex set of psychosocial risks. As HR Manager Atul Joshi explained, “We became very conscious of the legal frameworks that were developing around managing psychosocial risk in our company… Plus, the developments around positive duty of care. So we started looking at programmes that enabled Bangarra to address our legal obligations, but also skilled up our people, our managers in particular, around issues relating to mental health.”

With half the year spent touring, many staff – including young performers – are away from home and support networks for extended periods. Production Manager Cat Studley described the pressure: “There are deadlines every single day… and there is the mentality for a lot of people, that the show must go on.”

Some of Bangarra’s First Nations staff and dancers also experience additional layers of generational trauma, making the need for robust mental health support even more critical.

Learn more about Workplace Mental Health Coaching, proudly supported by the NSW Government.

The Coaching Approach

The coaching, funded by the NSW Government, gave Bangarra the dedicated time and space to equip touring company leadership with practical tools and strategies to identify and manage psychosocial risks.

Cat Studley explained, “She [coach Anna Kijowska] gave us some really good tools around what our first step should be”.

Cat also reflected that the coaching helped connect the touring company leadership team. “It helped us ask questions, for example, ‘Oh, I saw that you were struggling with that… Do you need support with that?’ It made it clearer how we could support each other as well as offer support within our teams.”

“Anna was great at looking at a situation and saying, ‘How do you think you should do it better? What do you think the problem was?’. Coaching was all about reflecting on things, and I think that is key.”

Coach Anna Kijowska noted that the team’s positive attitude to change enabled them to get the most out of their coaching experience.

“Touring company leadership were open to reflecting on what was and wasn’t working, and genuinely wanted to create a safer, more supportive environment – not just tick a compliance box.

“What really stood out to me about Bangarra was their willingness to engage with the process, even when it meant looking at some uncomfortable truths about workload, communication, and the unique pressures of touring.”

“Their leaders are keen to build strong, authentic relationships with team members, encouraging self-reflection and problem solving to make sure they take the most respectful approach when it comes to addressing issues. Leaders asking questions and being genuinely interested in the answer, allows a deeper sense of connection and increases the likelihood to reach out for help when things are more difficult.”

A key part of the coaching was breaking down complex challenges into actionable steps. “We spoke a lot about really recognising the signs [of mental health distress] … when someone’s having a bad day … and what we can do past that moment,” said Cat.

“Once we’ve identified a problem, how we support someone and what we do in those steps … and how we can help support the rest of the team as well as that person.”

Anna added: “Bangarra’s approach to document management and psychosocial risk reporting was a practical example of their commitment to improvement. They didn’t just want a system for the sake of it – they wanted something that would actually help people feel safe to speak up, and ensure issues were addressed quickly and fairly.”

Outcomes and Benefits

The impact of coaching has been tangible across Bangarra. Atul noted, “There’s a greater level of comfort for people to share things, experiences, to report things because I think they feel that they will be heard if there are issues and … that we will do something about it.”

Cat observed a significant cultural shift: “When I started [eight years ago], there was quite a lot of staff turnover … This year, all of the dancers are staying, which is great. We’re getting the same contractors back too because they want to work with us … I can see the change.”

Anna reflected, “It’s been rewarding to see the ripple effect of coaching at Bangarra. The team is not only more confident in managing their own stress, but they’re also supporting each other and modelling healthy behaviours for the rest of the company. That’s the real mark of success – when the benefits extend beyond the initial group and start to shape the whole culture.”

Practical changes have also been implemented, such as revising job design, remuneration structures, and introducing formal reporting mechanisms for bullying and harassment.

“We’ve changed our production team’s contracts over the last year,” Cat notes, citing previous overtime for the production team that ultimately led to the accumulation of time in lieu, that was rarely taken.

Now, says Atul, we say, “We will pay you for the extra time and clock that extra time so that you’re getting something back for it rather than a promise of extra leave which never eventuates.”

The Next Act

Bangarra Dance Theatre’s experience shows how Workplace Mental Health Coaching can be a powerful tool for managing psychosocial risk, building trust, and fostering a culture of openness and support.

As Cat advised other organisations, “Having anything in your back pocket to help with mental health is a good thing… I don’t think any training is a bad thing… It’s a really useful tool to be able to reflect on what has happened previously and how you can move forward with different ideas and different ways of coping with situations.”

Anna’s final thoughts: “Bangarra’s journey shows what’s possible when an organisation commits to genuine change. Coaching is just one part of the puzzle, but when it’s combined with practical systems and a willingness to listen, it can make a real difference.”