Mental Health Matters:
A Leaders Summit

A Gathering of Industry Leaders to Shape a Safer Future

On January 2025, Screen Well and the ABC brought leaders from across Australia’s screen sector together for an extraordinary afternoon of insight, collaboration, and action.

The Mental Health Matters Leaders Summit wasn’t just another industry event - it was a call to leadership. A call to acknowledge the challenges our sector faces, and to commit to doing better.

We heard from some of Australia’s foremost voices in mental health, including Georgie Harman (CEO, Beyond Blue), Brad Parker (CEO, Mates in Construction NSW), Margo Lydon (Workplace Mental Health Advisory) and Lucinda Brogden AM (Corporate Mental Health Alliance) and revealed new screen industry mental health research data from Griffith University.

What We Explored

  • Lived experience and research: We revealed personal stories of those working in the screen industry, as well as new mental health research data from Griffith University.

  • Inspiration from other industries: Drawing on leadership in aviation, elite sport, and frontline services to inform how we support people in screen.

  • Mental health by design: Reframing safety and wellbeing as strategic advantages, not compliance checkboxes.

  • Culture starts with us: Identifying the small, practical ways leaders can foster safe environments - on set, in the office, and in the funding pipeline.

Outcomes & Insights

  • As Georgie said (include video)

  • The summit concluded with a workshop, where leaders could contribute their ideas for how we can improve outcomes - together.

  • A commitment from funders, producers, and execs to lead from the front.

  • A collective vision: an industry where mental health is everyone's business.

What’s Next?

This summit was just the beginning. We are currently conducting a series of roundtables with the leaders in attendance to co-design an industry-led mental health action plan.

Want to Get Involved?

If you want to contribute or stay up to date, you can join our mailing list below or Get In Touch to be part of the change.

Summit 2025 Guests

  • Jeremy Fernandez

    LIVE NEWS ANCHOR, JOURNALIST, PRODUCER, PODCASTER

  • Georgie Harman

    CEO, BEYOND BLUE

  • Brad Parker

    CEO, MATES IN CONSTRUCTION NEW SOUTH WALES

  • Margo Lydon

    DIRECTOR WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY

  • Lucinda Brogden AM

    BOARD MEMBER OF THE CORPORATE MENTAL HEALTH ALLIANCE AUSTRALIA

  • Peter Hegedus

    ASSOC PROFESSOR, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

  • Bobbi-Lea Dionysius

    PRODUCER, RESEARCHER, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

  • Ben Steel

    MANAGING PARTNER & FOUNDER, SCREEN WELL

  • Jonathon Dutton

    MANAGING PARTNER, SCREEN WELL