ABTT launches Work Life Challenge initiative
- Details
The aim of the challenge is to encourage us to consider and promote a better attitude towards achieving a healthy balance between our work and other “life” activities that help us to unwind and get away from the pressures of our career. Consider starting a walking group; get together with others that run; start a weekly yoga practice before shows; baking; crafting; anything you like but make sure it’s fun and that it makes you smile.
There are two options to sign up for the challenge: The ‘endorphin challenge’: running, walking, climbing, anything that raises that heart rate and the ‘mindfulness challenge’: baking; crafts; reading; anything that focuses our mind.
“We want to encourage you and your theatres, businesses and organisations to commit to a longer-term goal,” says ABTT. “Perhaps a weekly walking club that ends with completing a park run; an arts and crafts club that meets every week for six months; weekly yoga that ends with a one-hour yoga challenge on stage! Whatever your challenge, make it a part of a lifestyle change and commit to prioritising that precious work life balance while at the same time raising money for the charities that help others in our industry.”
The challenge is being launched at the ABTT Theatre Show 2023, and you have until the day before the ABTT Theatre Show 2024 to complete it.
You don’t have to fundraise to take part in the challenge, but to find out how to register your challenge, download an information pack. For resources and to start fundraising head over to the ABTT fundraising page.
ABTT co-chair Mig Burgess Walsh comments: “As a Backup Tech Trustee and the ABTT co-chair, it’s been such a pleasure to work on bringing this ‘work life challenge’ to life. It’s such a great concept to encourage us to think about and dedicate time to doing more things that make us smile. Activities outside of work help us to decompress, they ground us and take us away from the stresses and strains of our working lives.
“I hope that companies and businesses can get on board and encourage their staff to make time to get involved. It is well documented that a happy workforce is a more productive one. Spending quality time outside of work means we can come back refreshed and full of energy. I hope this challenge sees people finding new hobbies and making new friends. Working towards a cultural change which promotes a healthy work life balance is a great ambition, even better if we can raise money for all our great industry charities at the same time!”
Robin Townley, ABTT chief executive, adds: “The ABTT Trustees are very aware that the association is a registered charity and we work to deliver our own charitable aims. However, those objectives do not include the ability to distribute funds to support those members of our industry who find themselves in moments of greatest need. The ABTT’s objectives do include providing better education in the technical aspects of the art of theatre and the promotion of excellence in the design of theatre buildings.
“One of the things we do in pursuit of these objectives is to set standards for the safe and compliant conduct of live performance production and the operation of places of entertainment. We work very closely with the HSE and we are always mindful of the legal duties to protect the health, safety and welfare of our workforce.
“The Work Life Challenge is a great way to take one of the actions that resulted from the discussions at the Make a Difference conference in April this year - to better support the work life balance in our industry - and in helping to achieve that, to also benefit those charities that are able to distribute financial support when and where it is needed. It is very rewarding to be able to support Mig and the ABTT is promoting this challenge.”
https://www.abtt.org.uk/abtt-work-life-balance-challenge/
