Whether your production is large or small – we will work with you to create the safe, healthy and happy working environment that your team and crew deserve. By taking good care of your employees, you’ll see their creativity, resilience and performance improve.
Matt is an accredited i-act instructor and has adapted our course specifically for the Film and TV industry. He regularly delivers i-act to HODs and crew training them to manage and promote positive mental health and wellbeing at work. Matt worked in equipment hire for many years supplying both film productions and music events across the UK. He has worked on some of the largest film productions including Harry Potter, Batman: The Dark Knight Rises and War Horse.
Matt is a consultant and trainer for organisations including the Film and TV Charity, BECTU, BFI, Digital Orchard, Raw TV and several businesses at Pinewood Studios. He sits on the Film and TV Charity’s working group to develop a mental health training framework and contributed to their Mentally Healthy Productions Toolkit.
Matt has trialled the role of Wellbeing Facilitator across multiple productions working with the BFI, Bectu, Disney, Pulse Films and Love Productions. He is also a trustee of the Men’s Health Forum that supports underprivileged men and boys with their health. Matt is a keen amateur home musician who enjoys live music of all genres.
Leo Anna Thomas (they/them) has 20 years’ experience in the Art Department, six as Standby Art Director. They are the first WellBeing Facilitator for the Film and TV industry. Having experienced bullying they stepped away from the industry in 2009 to look after their mental health. They returned in 2013, promising to speak honestly about their experience, while also developing the role of a WellBeing Facilitator, which was unofficially trialled on ‘His Dark Materials 1’, ‘Trigonometry’ and ‘Small Axe’.
After losing two industry colleagues to suicide during 2017-18, Leo trained as a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) and an i-act manager. In 2020 they joined 6ft From the Spotlight, working full time as a professional Wellbeing Facilitator on ‘The Lost Girls’, ‘This Way Up2’ and ‘The Peripheral’.
Leo was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in 2015 and has spoken openly about the condition, raising awareness on social media and with the charity Mind. Leo has also given presentations to students at London Film School and Canterbury Christ Church University.
Outside of work, Leo writes prose and poetry and sketches in journals, and plans to self-publish a collection. Leo practices Vipassana meditation.
Michelle holds an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology and works with individuals and organisations to develop the meaningful, resilient and healthy approaches which underpin creative, happy and sustainable working environments.
She has over 18 years’ experience of leading teams within the film events and exhibition sector for organisations, such as the BFI, the London Film Festival and DDA Live. Michelle is also an invited Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, for her work developing young emerging talent within the film industry.
Michelle contributed to the development of the BAFTA/BFI anti-bullying principles within the screen industries and the Film and TV Charities Mentally Healthy Productions Toolkit. She works regularly with organisations like BECTU, The Film and TV Charity, Screen Skills, BAFTA, Google, NEO Leaders and INSEAD Business School. She is a member of the British Psychological Society and is an accredited Mindfulness Teacher and Strengths Coaching Practitioner.
Away from work, she loves films, reading, podcasts, animals, cups of tea, warm blankets, hiking, nature, sunny beaches, ghost stories, brunch and running.
Jude is an accredited Mental Health First Aid trainer who founded Dolly Mental Health in 2019, providing a range of bespoke training for the creative industries, based on her experiences of working in the Film and TV industry for over 12 years. Jude is also an Associate Director at 6ft From the Spotlight, campaigning to bring WellBeing Facilitators into productions and providing MHFA training for new WBFs.
Dolly has delivered training to clients such as BAFTA, BFI, National Film and TV School and Screenskills. Jude also works for Mind as a Recovery Hub Coordinator as well as being an active volunteer for Samaritans.
Davey is one of our first WellBeing Facilitators with over a decade of experience working in the Film & TV Industry. Alongside this he is an accredited trainer for both Mental Health First Aid and I-Act Manager training. Utilising his own lived experience to create change, Davey set up the charity MenTalkHealth which works to get more men talking about their mental health for the benefit of all and runs his own company – Davey Talks – which allows him to do public speaking, bespoke training and content around mental health with a particular emphasis on creating safe space training for different groups.
His work has led him to be involved with great organisations such as See Me Scotland, Time To Change, The Film & TV Charity & Mind Out amongst others and had him nominated for The National Diversity Awards in 2018. You can also find him on his weekly radio show ‘Monday Music Therapy’ on Charitable Radio.
Become an active player in the creation of a better industry for all. Get in touch to find out how our team can help you create a mentally healthy production.
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