A singing and vocal coach from Manchester is organising an event aimed at facilitating an open discussion around the challenges performers have faced during their careers.

Kathy Brooke is behind the idea of “Crafted Talks” which was inspired by her personal experience of a voice disorder and its subsequent impact on her quality of life. This episode meant using her voice was painful and singing was also off the cards. This period in her life caused her to become withdrawn and pull back from all areas. She says the self-stigma around her voice issue meant she was unable to open up about it to anyone which affected her confidence levels severely. She was eventually diagnosed with a form of muscle tension induced through stress and emotional trauma. The diagnosis helped her to access the right treatments which led to her recovery and back doing what she loves. This pivotal experience in her life led Kathy to come up with an idea to provide a platform to industry peers where they can share their stories, their highs and lows.

Kathy hopes the event, due to take place in February or March next year will help de-stigmatise the many topics which seem to be off-limits due to the fear performers’ have of health issues having a negative impact on their reputation and careers.

For more information about what’s planned, to register your interest or if you’d like to speak at the event email kathy@thecraftedvoice.com