Former Poldark actor launches hub for well-being in the arts

IntAct Creatives is also developing a physical well-being and fitness strand, which will launch in the future. 

The organisation will also signpost to other existing mental health and well-being services in the arts. 

Charteris Nunn, founder and chief executive, said: "It was in 2013, in the early days of drama school that the idea for the purpose of IntAct began to form. I only managed two years at drama school, as it was all I could stomach. 

"I found myself so deeply disturbed by the conduct and practices of what was being asked of us, what was being asked of 24 children, that I was constantly locking horns with my tutors and the entire organisation. For me, this fight for change and support really began with my fellow classmates and is dedicated to them and all the students that came after us."

Charteris Nunn said that she continued to push for change and support during eight years as an actor and that it "all came to a head" when she spoke out in 2020 about having experienced sexual assault. 

She then went on to study a master’s in psychology and mental health and co-founded a women’s wellness and sexual assault survivor support network called I am Arla.

"I don’t feel that we’re pioneering all of the services we offer, but where we break new ground is the structure in which we’re housing them, and the way they all come together, and how IntAct can be a recognised and trusted place to immediately go to," Charteris Nunn added.

"I hope we will be a source for those individuals who are also providing similar services [and for them] to want to work with us. We can be the shopfront for what they might individually be trying to do alongside their main careers, and we can take on some of the pressure."