More Than Just an Arts Venue

June was Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and at Contact, we’ve been reflecting on how incredible creativity can be in supporting wellbeing, especially for young men. Because we’ve seen proof of this time and time again since we first opened our doors over 50 years ago.

For those unfamiliar, Contact is a charity and arts venue that inspires and empowers young people and the wider community through the arts. Every year we run our award-winning Contact Young Company (CYC). Known for bold, original work, this project takes a group of young people who work in collaboration with leading national and international artists, to devise and perform a final theatre piece. 

Every year is different and this year’s CYC project, ‘Creatively Minded Men’, was funded by The Barring Foundation who have also conducted research into men’s participation in arts and mental health activities. Thanks to their funding we have been able to work with a group of men and male-identifying people aged 18-30, weekly at Contact. Many joined the group with no experience of theatre, but they all had a love of music and, most importantly, a willingness to try something new. What began as a music-focused project has since evolved into a theatre piece, as well as a space for trust, connection, creativity and expression.

Creativity and Connection

We’ve always known that the arts are transformative, it’s what we’ve been doing for over 50 years now. But this particular group has reminded us just how vital they can be for young men’s mental health.

Music served as the entry point for this year’s project because we’ve found that, with young men in particular, it can be a familiar and non-intimidating way to break down any initial barriers they might face when joining a creative group or walking into a theatre space. Potentially for the first time. The group slowly built up their confidence and skills by exploring beats, lyrics, instruments and production techniques. Alongside our incredible music facilitators Danny and Ben, a trained music therapist that music charity Nordoff and Robins partnered with us to provide. 

Their sessions became a space for sharing stories and encouraging each other. As well as allowing them to become truly brilliant at playing improvised music together. One unforgettable jam session was with the band Blossoms, who visited whilst filming for the One Show. As well as a really special jam session, Blossoms gave the group a chance to ask questions about the music industry and how they use music to improve their own mental health. 

Over time, the young men started gaining confidence and branching out from music into exploring acting, storytelling and theatre techniques. Now, they’re working on creating a live performance. Shaped by their own words, experiences, and soundscapes and we’re hiring a director to work with them on a final performance piece. They’ve gone from music novices to skilled storytellers and from participants to collaborators and this all grew from an interest in music. Plus, a willingness to explore how music and creativity in general might support better mental health.

Why Focus on Young Men’s Mental Health?

Our CYC projects often focus on certain groups of young people and this year we wanted to support young men in particular because the statistics around young men’s mental health speak volumes. For example,

• 12.5% of men in England have a mental health disorder. (NHS Digital)

• Suicide was the leading cause of death for people aged 5-35 in England in 2022. Around three quarters were boys or young men. (Papyrus)

• Studies indicate that the state and society may act in an empathic manner towards women with mental illness, while responding more punitively towards men with mental illness. (The Association of Commonwealth Universities)

And beyond statistics, many men face deep-rooted societal pressures that stop them from seeking help. As Mental Health UK notes: “Unhelpful gender norms make assumptions about what it means to be ‘masculine’.”

From being told to ‘man up’ to facing bullying or stigmatised silence when opening up, young men can often feel like they have to deal with their struggles alone. This is even more complex at the intersectionality between mental health and men who may face additional stigma, racism, or cultural barriers to accessing support.

In addition to this increase in poor mental health amongst young people, art is becoming less and less accessible for many across the UK. We recently hosted the ‘Our Freedom Then and Now’ conference and organisers Future Arts Centres shared research that found ‘Only 7% of children in the UK have full access to arts and cultural education in school.’ Which leave millions of children and young people with no access to the creative opportunities they deserve. 

This lack of the art provision in schools is despite evidence that ‘Schools with arts programmes have higher attendance and perform better in reading, writing and maths.’ (Public School Review 2025). People are slowly beginning to make the connection between creativity, good mental health and a well-rounded education but available services are still low. This is why charities and projects like ours are so crucial. They provide space not just for creativity, but for community. They help young men feel seen, heard, and supported. Sometimes for the first time.

Check In and Reach Out

Mental Health Awareness Month isn’t just about raising awareness, it’s about encouraging action too. If you’re worried about someone, even a small check-in could go a long way.

We know this type of conversation can feel a bit daunting, but treat it like a chat because that’s exactly what it is. Start by simply asking “How are you doing?” and then really listen without judgement or interruption. If you’re concerned, they might be suicidal, you can ask this ask directly. Contrary to perceived worries, asking these questions won’t ‘put the idea’ in someone’s head but could in fact save their life. 

For more advice, CALM and PAPYRUS both offer tips on helping friends or family through mental health challenges.

If you yourself are finding things difficult, please know this: talking about it is not a bad thing, so never feel like you have to bottle it up. Support is out there, and there’s strength in seeking it. If you don’t know where to begin here are a few suggestions:

• Talk to your GP and ask for an emergency appointment

• Use the NHS 111 service to ask for advice

• Get in touch with any of these charities for free confidential support:

• Samaritans

• Childline

• Papyrus

• LGBT Foundation

• 42^nd Street

• Young Minds

And if you’re not ready for professional support yet, start by talking to someone that you trust. Finding a community, whether through the arts or elsewhere, can be the first step toward feeling supported.

Join Us

Our CYC projects run annually so if you’d like to take part in future groups do keep an eye out on our website and social media for updates. We also have lots of over events and groups happening around the building. As well as being a space that you are always welcome to visit, see a show, grab a coffee or use our space to study or work. 

This June and beyond, let’s keep talking, listening and creating spaces where young men feel supported, seen, and empowered through music, through creativity, and through each other.