Skiddle Survey Finds ‘Astronomical Levels Of Stress In The Music Industry’

It's important to talk about it
Bruce Ayres – It’s important to talk about it
Most participants in Skiddle’s survey cited “no regular income” and “lack of support” as their main worries

According to a survey by ticketing company and event guide Skiddle, conducted among some 520 promoters, venue operators and event organizers, 82 percent of people working in this business are suffering with continuous levels of stress.
67 percent of respondents said they had anxiety, and 40 percent said they had struggled with depression.
One in 10 respondents said they developed symptoms associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as a direct result of their work.
65 percent of promoters said they frequently felt an “intense and unmanageable level of pressure,” while almost half (47 percent) said their work in music “often led to a constant feeling of anxiety and sadness.”
One promoter commented: “After running a festival for a couple of years, the workload this year ended up depressing me to a level that I had suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self harm.
“A couple of months later I had panic attacks when thinking about starting the process again, and decided to go on hiatus instead.”
Another participant in the Skiddle survey said: “It’s the loneliness and isolation that scares me. Anxiety and stress are just part and parcel of the job – it’s sad but true.”
When questioned whether their work in event promotion ever negatively affected their relationship with others, nearly 38 percent of respondents said with their partner and spouse, one in five said with their family and friends.
37 percent said they ‘frequently’ had financial problems, which contributed feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.
The biggest worries of promoters include “no regular income” (45 percent), “lack of support” (43 percent). “Unsociable hours and the effect the job has on relationships also scored highly,” according to the survey results.
Ben Sebborn, co-Founder and director at Skiddle, said: “The results of this survey do not make for an easy read, and it’s troubling to see that so many
promoters are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing.
“Skiddle have been working alongside independent and large scale promoters for nearly two decades and fully appreciate how difficult the job can be. As well as organising a series of panel sessions to discuss the issues raised in the survey, we will also be working with the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) and The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to ensure we are industry leaders in supporting promoters and offering them the assistance they need to work happily and effectively.”
Claire Cordeaux, director of the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, commented: “It’s well evidenced that mental health problems are considerably higher in the performing artist community than in the general population and the industry is increasingly recognising the need for support. 
“Skiddle’s survey of promoters, one of the first of its kind, is a timely reminder that it is not just performers that need help.”
Skiddle has established a dedicated website on the issue of mental health in the music industry. The company claims that “whilst extensive research has been conducted into artist mental health, this is the first survey of its kind to look at the effect working behind the scenes in music has on emotional wellbeing.”
The company will be conducting two panel sessions based on the survey results, one at the Queen of Hoxton in London, Oct. 2, the other at Joshua Brookes in Manchester, Oct. 3. 
The survey was conducted through surveymonkey.com between Aug. 20 and Sept. 20, 2018 from Skiddle’s database of promoters.
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