Touring can take a serious toll on mental health, especially for smaller teams without the budgets or support structures of major productions. A new Pay It Forward Fund aims to change that by giving eligible touring teams free access to specialist mental health support.
Larger tours have increasingly added welfare and mental health support to their productions over recent years. Smaller touring teams face the same pressures, often compounded by tighter budgets, leaner crews, and more gruelling travel conditions, but rarely have the resources to access the same level of support. That is the gap the Pay It Forward Fund is designed to close.
Who is behind it
The fund was launched by the Music Industry Therapist Collective, a group of qualified mental health practitioners who specialise in working with people in the music industry. Backers include major live entertainment companies AEG and Live Nation, Radiohead drummer Philip Selway, and Live Free 999, a charitable foundation set up by Carmela Wallace, the mother of the late rapper Juice WRLD. An initial £272,000 (approximately $370,000) has been raised to support 50 touring teams per year across a three-year pilot period.
What the package actually includes
Each funded team receives ten confidential check-in sessions with qualified practitioners who understand the realities of touring life. These are available online, around the clock, and in multiple languages, so they can be used by any member of the touring team at any point during a tour. The package also includes a 90-minute occupational health consultation for tour and production managers, a healthy touring workshop, and access to a published manual on touring and mental health.
How to apply
Applications are open worldwide to eligible touring teams for tours beginning between October and December 2026. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2026, with decisions communicated on October 14. Teams can apply at musicindustrytherapists.com
If you are heading out on tour this autumn and your team could use this kind of support, it is worth applying. Musosoup works with independent artists at every stage of their careers, and getting the practical and personal side of touring right is as important as the music itself.
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