Recovery and Well-being in the Performing Arts

Investigating the critical relationship between recovery, fatigue, working conditions, and societal pressures in the performing arts, this comprehensive text brings together international experts from psychology, medicine, and sport science. It highlights important research on recovery and its physiological and psychological implications for performing artists across music, dance, acting, and circus performance.

Divided into four parts, this book contextualises recovery challenges in performing arts while maintaining positive health and well-being levels essential for performance. Chapters examine recovery from both individual and organisational perspectives, and address how recovery and well-being can be induced and sustained, preventing overuse, and enabling creativity and self-efficacy. Contributors provide scientific state-of-the-art approaches answering crucial questions that also address societal and systemic challenges in the performing arts. They provide valuable insights for researchers, while offering practical guidance for anyone involved in supporting the physical and mental health of performing artists across diverse artistic disciplines.

This essential resource will be of interest to both academic communities and applied practice professionals concerned with human health and well-being in performing arts, including artistic directors, performing artists, coaches, conductors, composers, and healthcare teams working with performers.

Eckart Altenmüller is a Professor Emeritus of Music Physiology and Musician’s Medicine at the University of Music, Drama and Media, Hannover, Germany.

Michael Kellmann is a Professor of Sport Psychology at the Faculty of Sport Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. He is also an Honorary Professor in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia.

Jürgen Beckmann is Professor of Sport Psychology and Emeritus of Excellence in the School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Germany. He is currently member of the Psycho-Cardiological Consultation Group at the German Heart Centre Munich. He is also an Honorary Professor in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia.

Gene M. Moyle is a Professor of Dance, Sport and Exercise Psychologist and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Programs and Partnerships) at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.