Gigantic partners with Roy Stone Foundation
British primary ticket agency Gigantic has pledged its support for the Roy Stone Foundation, a charity set up to support music-industry professionals with mental health issues.
The charity is named for popular Nottingham musician Roy Foster (known professionally as Roy Stone), who passed away in October 2015 after suffering with mental illness. He was a friend of Mark Gasson, the founder of Gigantic, which is based in Nottingham.
A recent survey by Help Musicians UK found 71% of respondents had experienced incidences of anxiety and panic attacks and 69% episodes of depression, while a similar study in Norway found a disproportionate use of antidepressants among Norwegian musicians, with those working in the industry around 50% more likely to be taking psychotropic drugs than the average person.
“Musicians face a lot of pressure to be the best at what they do, so it can be hard to separate work life and home life,” comments Gasson. “These pressures can often be overlooked, and improvements need to be made to remove the stigma which is associated with mental health.
“More than 1,000 people attended Roy’s funeral, and yet still he struggled to find help and support for his depression”
“Roy Foster was a good friend of mine, so when the charity was launched I was very keen for Gigantic to support it.”
Sally Jackson, one of the foundation’s founders, adds: “Since the charity launched in 2016 we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people and local venues wanting to support us.
“Mental health affects a number of people, aside from musicians. Over 1,000 people attended Roy’s funeral and yet still he struggled to find help and support for his depression. There needs to be more places to signpost people to and more awareness, and we hope with the help of a partner like Gigantic we can be the stepping stone to making that a reality.”
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.