{"id":487059,"date":"2025-10-10T01:04:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T01:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/487059\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T01:04:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T01:04:22","slug":"manchester-actor-launches-mental-health-support-group-for-creatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/487059\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester actor launches mental health support group for creatives"},"content":{"rendered":"

– Advertisement –\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on. Community spaces are a great way to seek support for your mental health. <\/p>\n

Sonny Ferretti is an actor who cares so much about the mental health<\/a> of others, he decided to diversify and begin working as a mental health practitioner. <\/p>\n

One of his current projects involves setting up a network of creatives to support each other. We caught up with him to find out more.<\/p>\n

The nativity play was his starting point <\/p>\n

Like many actors, the nativity play was the starting point for Sonny.<\/p>\n

\"SonnySonny Ferretti<\/p>\n

He says, \u201cI can still remember the costume they gave me; it was a full-length burgundy piece and came with a hat with tiny mirrors on it. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe performance bug started there. And never left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acting allows him to express himself <\/p>\n

He went to drama school at Italia Conti in 2004 and has been treading the boards ever since. And he loves the \u201cmany stages of the acting process.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds, \u201cThe audition process really excites me; being given a completely different character to dissect and discover, the nervousness of being in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cYou can be one kind of person going into the theatre, cinema, etc, watch a performance, and you can leave a\u00a0completely\u00a0different person\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Likewise, the rehearsal process excites him, and when a performance is transformative for the audience, he knows he has done his job well. He says:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can be one kind of person going into the theatre, cinema, etc, watch a performance, and you can leave a\u00a0completely\u00a0different person.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t that crazy? It can literally change who you are in a few hours. That has certainly happened to me. <\/p>\n

\u201cNot often, but when it happens, it\u2019s indescribable.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mental health in the competitive acting industry<\/p>\n

We asked what he noticed about mental health in the competitive industry. <\/p>\n

He told us: \u201cOh,\u00a0blimey! Where do I start? It\u2019s funny, whenever I talk to people about being an actor and working in mental health<\/a>, they often talk about the rejection and how tough it must be.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve been auditioned and never hear back, it has been the most damaging part of my mental health journey\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He adds: \u201cYes, it can be difficult, particularly if it\u2019s something you would love to do or pays well, but for me, that\u2019s just a natural part of the job. <\/p>\n

\u201cI give myself 24 hours to sulk and I\u2019m back to it.\u201d He expands: \u201cBut the more pernicious, the more\u00a0destructive part of the industry is not hearing yes or no from an audition.<\/p>\n

\u201cGranted, casting can\u2019t be expected to reply to you for every submission, but if you\u2019ve been auditioned and never hear back, it has been the most damaging part of my mental health journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finding his tribe <\/p>\n

\"MentalMental health community group<\/p>\n

So how does an actor end up working in this ever-growing field? Sonny says: \u201cA mate of mine is a Mental Health First Aid instructor, and when I met him in 2022, I had no idea what it was. Absolutely none. The more I found out, the more I felt, \u2018I have unequivocally found my tribe\u2019. A community of people who care about others\u2019 wellbeing and safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds: \u201dI learnt more about it and, coupled with the years of therapy I had had by that point, I thought, \u2018I know the industry needs this kind of\u00a0training\u2019. <\/p>\n

\u201cI took about a year out of the industry and focused on what would make me happy \u2013 or as happy as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

He expands: \u201cAfter that time, my love for the acting world hadn\u2019t gone away, but my\u00a0intense\u00a0love for it had, so I set out to become an MHFA instructor and to aim predominantly towards the Arts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI was so passionately driven to ensure that people don\u2019t arrive at the dark places I have\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

During lockdown, I created a podcast that\u00a0spoke to creatives about their mental health called \u2018My Sh**ty Actor Boyfriend<\/a>\u2018 and was also passionately driven to ensure that people don\u2019t arrive at the dark places I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Positive feedback<\/p>\n

Sonny told us about some of the positive feedback he\u2019s received: \u201cI got a text message late one Sunday night from a delegate I had trained a week or so beforehand. <\/p>\n

\u201cI had had a tough weekend and\u00a0was getting into bed, and this person messaged me out of the blue to say thank you again for the course, but to also tell me what had happened to him and another delegate the night before.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds, \u201cThey had walked past a man on his own in a bar, crying.\u00a0Initially, they walked past, but thanks to the training, they stopped, went back, and asked him if he was OK.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey spent 30 minutes with him and found out that his Nan was in hospital and he was very upset. It didn\u2019t fix the problem this man was having, but that\u2019s not the point. This man felt less alone and was comforted by two complete\u00a0strangers who just wanted to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sonny\u2019s next project is working with the theatre and community hub 53two, and he tells me more. \u201cI can\u2019t put into words how excited I am about my next project with 53two. This has always been a place of community, fun and zero judgment. Not just the staff, but the patrons too. For about a year, I\u2019ve wanted to do something for the creative community in\/around Manchester and knew this was the place to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Side by side: Creative Minds\u2019<\/p>\n

He adds: \u201cOn Monday, 3rd November, I am starting \u2019Side by Side: Creative Minds\u2019, a free peer-to-peer support group at 53two specifically for creatives. Whether you\u2019re an actor, musician, drag queen, director, OnlyFans model, or whoever, this is the space for you. A space with zero judgement to talk and share openly about how you\u2019re feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

He expands: \u201cWhether it\u2019s to do with the state of the world at the moment,\u00a0money problems,\u00a0your mental health, etc, or if you\u2019d prefer to join, but not talk\/share straight away \u2013 we\u2019re here for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe freelance life can be unrelentingly brutal in all sorts of ways, and I want to provide a resource, completely free, smack bang in the centre of Manchester.\u201d<\/p>\n

Please click\u00a0this link<\/a>\u00a0for more info and sign-up details.<\/p>\n

Advice for someone afraid to open up<\/p>\n

When someone is struggling, everyone says talk. <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s totally OK to be nervous about sharing how you feel\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But what advice would Sonny give to someone who is afraid to blurt everything out?<\/p>\n

He says, \u201cUnless you want to, don\u2019t feel pressured to blurt everything out. It\u2019s totally OK to be nervous about sharing how you feel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known people for over 20 years and am still cautious about sharing. Take your time with it. Don\u2019t feel you need to share everything all at once. <\/p>\n

\u201cFinding a space or a person whom you trust is key. Will that person\u00a0really\u00a0listen to you without judgment or advice? Will they give you the space you need to talk uninterrupted? Will they listen in an empathetic and compassionate way?\u201d<\/p>\n

He expands: \u201cMaybe tell them what your expectations are from the chat. It would mean a lot if you would hear me out without advice, as that won\u2019t be helpful. This is a big step for me, and I\u2019m scared about sharing\u201d. If you only want to share about one subject, stick to that. Set a clear boundary as to what you\u2019re comfortable with and respect it.\u201d<\/p>\n

How does he take care of himself?<\/p>\n

To protect his own well-being, Sonny has learned to switch off. He stepped away from the news when it began to affect his mood. These days, his happy places are the gym, a badminton court and, of course, the ultimate mental health cleanser: Judge Judy.<\/p>\n

\u201cJudge Judy has my heart,\u201d he says with a grin.<\/p>\n

If you need urgent help<\/p>\n

If you or anyone you know is struggling, see the helpline here.<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Glenn is a freelance journalist and film and media tutor who loves theatre, gigs and cinema. His second home is HOME and he can usually be found sitting in the stalls somewhere enjoying something live on Manchester’s vibrant arts scene.<\/p>\n

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