Celebrating creativity [no.250] with Pay It Forward

Touring can be an incredible experience. It can also involve long days, disrupted sleep, constant travel, extended periods away from home and very little opportunity to recover.

Those pressures exist at every level of the live music industry, but access to specialist support does not.

This week, we’re celebrating Pay It Forward, an industry-funded programme giving eligible artists and crews access to a fully funded package of specialist health and wellbeing support.

Created by the Music Industry Therapist Collective, the programme is designed around the realities of working and living on the road. It supports not only individuals, but also the teams, leaders and working environments surrounding them.

Successful touring teams receive:

• A Healthy Touring workshop for the whole team
• An occupational health consultation for tour and production leaders
• Ten confidential Tour Check-In sessions, available 24/7
• Practical and educational resources
• Access to the audiobook Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual

The programme began with a simple act of generosity. Artists already using MITC’s touring services chose to donate their unused Tour Check-Ins, making them available to people working on tours with fewer resources.

That idea developed into something much bigger: an industry-backed programme through which those with greater resources can help make specialist support available throughout the touring community.

Pay It Forward has now raised £272,000, with the ambition of supporting 150 tours over three years.

Importantly, applications are open internationally and throughout the year. Touring teams can apply at any time for support with an upcoming or ongoing tour, with each application considered individually according to the circumstances of the tour, the level of need and the funding available.

Behind every live performance is an enormous network of people navigating the demands of touring. Pay It Forward recognises that creating a healthier industry is a shared responsibility—and that meaningful support should not be limited to those working with the largest budgets.

Backers include AEG International, d&b audiotechnik, Fly By Nite, Live Free 999, Live Nation, Lockton Insurance, Radiohead’s Philip Selway, The Team and Universal Pixels.

Find out more about Pay It Forward

About this post

➡️ Every Friday, we use the Handle blog and socials to celebrate the organisations, initiatives and people supporting the creative industries. If you would like to nominate something for a future edition, please get in touch.