Mig Burgess Walsh


Senior Lecturer

About

My qualifications

2003
BA hons Theatre Practice - Lighting Design
Central School of Speech and Drama
2007
Btec City and guilds in Electrical Installation
South London College
Mental health First Aid Instructor Member
Mental Health First Aid England

Previous roles

06 January 2020 - 20 December 2021
Programme Leader for the BA Theatre Production course
GSA - University of Surrey

Affiliations and memberships

APPTLE - The Alliance of Associations and Professionals in Theatre and Live Events
Chair of the well being working group
Blackout

Research

Research interests

Research projects

Teaching

Publications

Highlights

A Handbook of Visual Methods in Psychology: Using and Interpreting Images in Qualitative Research

Chapter 27 Co Authored with Dr Paul Hanna

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351032063-3127/sometimes-lights-go-head-paul-hanna-mig-burgess

This chapter focuses on bipolar type II disorder which is diagnosed on the basis that an individual experiences at least one episode (i.e. persistent feeling over several days or weeks) of severe depression and symptoms of hypermania. In an attempt to address mental health stigma a number of academics, practitioners, individuals living with distress and carers have turned to alternative methods to communicate what it is like to experience mental distress and attempt to empower individuals experiencing distress from the position that they are the experts of their experience. The chapter discusses the implementation of Blackout event to show what it is like to live with a mental diagnosis. It presents the words of the audience to express their experience of Blackout. By offering up something multi-sensory and immersive, Blackout adds an additional way to give voice to those experiencing distress, offering more than the traditional ‘expert voice’ of the psychologist.

I have written the first entertainment industry guidance note on mental health and well being for the Association of British Theatre Technicians.  This guidance note was written after conducting 2 major studies into mental health and well being in our backstage industry.  The "W1" guidance note is a direct result of data collected.  It looks at offering guidance on how to better consider the well being of freelance staff in your workplace, as it was noted in our study that 69% of workers backstage identify with working freelance and self employed in some way.

Guidance Note W1 – Mental Health and Well-Being: Supporting Freelancers in the workplace

  1. This publication forms part of the Code of Practice for the Theatre Industry produced by the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) with the support of the Theatre Safety Committee.

The guidance note can be found here:  https://www.abtt.org.uk/product/guidance-note-w1/