LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Hollywood & Mind, a first-of-its-kind venture focused on mental health and the entertainment industry, will hold its inaugural event on May 11, 2023, at the Beverly Hills campus of founding sponsor United Talent Agency (UTA). Coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Month, the one-day event will bring together mental wellness experts with executives and talent across music, film, TV, digital, sports, and other sectors for an intersectional day of conversation, performance, and networking to foster collaboration and catalyze action to help destigmatize mental health.
Hollywood & Mind is the brainchild of veteran entertainment journalist Cathy Applefeld Olson, who, through the years, has spoken with some of the most prominent artists, performers, and industry executives about their own mental health struggles and solutions. She has interviewed Al Roker, the team behind the Selena Gomez-founded Wondermind, Jewel, Zak Williams (Robin Williams’ son), and many others during the past year.
“As we continue to grapple with the growing mental health crisis in this country and around the world, the entertainment industry is in a unique position to amplify conversation, reduce stigma and effect measurable change,” said Applefeld Olson. “Up until now the intersection of entertainment and mental health has been disjointed, with no coalition to gather stakeholders, share learnings, incubate ideas and foster collaborations. Hollywood & Mind is a formal expression of the need and willingness for both mental health professionals and the entertainment industry to come together to provide a powerful platform for discussion. We are thrilled to be having our in-person launch event on UTA’s beautiful campus.”
In addition to founding sponsor UTA, other confirmed sponsors of Hollywood & Mind’s inaugural event include Hallmark Media, Milk & Honey Music + Sports + Ventures, MTV Entertainment Studios and Publicis Health.
“Mental health is an important issue for the UTA Foundation’s social impact efforts,” said Rene Jones, Partner and Head of Social Impact, UTA. “That’s why we are so proud to be a founding sponsor and host of this inaugural event with Hollywood & Mind. It is important to be part of a forum that discusses the problems and creative solutions for the entertainment industry.”
Topics to be explored at the May 11 event include mental health storytelling, the power of song, mental health conversations in a direct-to-fan context, and best practices to support the wellbeing of talent and those working in the entertainment industry. Additional programming, schedule and ticket information will be announced in the coming months.
