Colour Agency Wellbeing Workshop
This week the Be Well Collective team flew to Glasgow, home of Colours Agency to support and speak on the panel for the first Colour’s Wellbeing Workshop.
Governed by the British Fashion Model Agents Association, Colours have supported the Be Well Collective and our initiatives since the founding of the charity. They are a modelling agency who above all, prioritise their model’s health and wellbeing and so gathered a panel of experts across a variety of fields in wellbeing and with experience in the fashion industry, to address the issues that young models commonly face.
As a not for profit organisation supporting model health and wellbeing, we provide support in the form of regularly workshops available to London based models as well as a variety of online resources and education that can be accessed, free of charge for all individuals. However, as a Scottish based agency, the majority of Colours Agency models do not have the access to Be Well’s charity initiatives such as workshops and panel events, which are exclusively London based therefore, we felt it important to extend our reach and support to the Colours agency.
Allison Bruce, director of Colours Agency, hosted the panel alongside panelists; founder of the Be Well Collective, international model and accredited nutritionist Sarah Ann Macklin, model and brand ambassador Emma Louise Connolly, Fitness Expert and Founder of The Fitt Principle Stephen Fraser, Health & fitness Trainer and author of “The Dietitian Kitchen” Kerri Major and Yoga Teacher and Tapping Solution Expert Natalie Jones.
Panelists covered a number of topics including fitness, nutrition, mental and physical health, establishing a good routine when travelling, relaxation, resilience and self-esteem.
Model Emma Louise Connolly, spoke openly about past experiences as a young model feeling out of her depth in certain situations, admitting that “there were definitely times when I have felt uncomfortable.” A feeling that many of the young models attending the workshop could relate to.
The topic of loneliness was also addressed on the panel, an issue which can affect many young models with busy schedules, travelling abroad and working away from home and one which resonated with model and panelist, Sarah Ann Macklin.
As well as nutrition advice including an optimal diet for those following a vegan diet and guidance on where to find trustworthy nutrition information online, Sarah Ann also shared with the guests how the Be Well Collective provides online educational resource for models and all young people looking for support and advice across all health and wellbeing topics.
On the topic of exercise and it’s impact on mental health, Trainer Stephen Fraser recommended “when you’re looking at your goals, don’t make everything aesthetic based.” A method that he uses with his clients to take the focus away from body image and into performance, something that can be helpful to those looking to use exercise as a positive tool for mental health.
Model and panelist, Emma Louise Connolly agreed, stating from her own experiences that “when I changed the way I was thinking about working out and I changed the way I worked out, my mental health became so much stronger.”
Models were given useful tools such as a tapping technique, used to deal with anxiety and explained by panelist Natalie Jones. Natalie later closed the workshop with a guided meditation to allow the guests to leave in a state of calm and relaxation, and with the knowledge to apply this in times when they feel stressed or anxious.
