Safer Creative Workplaces Victoria — In-Person Workshop

Victoria's creative industries are facing a psychosocial health crisis - and the law has caught up.

The OHS (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 came into effect on 1 December 2025, creating specific new duties for Victorian employers to identify and control psychosocial hazards in the workplace. For creative workers, employers, managers and organisations, this means psychosocial safety is no longer optional - it's a legal obligation.

Safer Creative Workplaces Victoria is a free half-day practical workshop designed specifically for Victoria's creative industries. Delivered by Hey Mate in partnership with WorkSafe Victoria, this session will give you the knowledge, tools and practical frameworks to identify psychosocial hazards in your own workplace and take meaningful action.

This is not a compliance lecture. It's a hands-on, participatory session grounded in the real conditions of creative work - and you'll leave with something practical and specific to your context.

What we'll cover:

• The psychosocial hazards most common in creative workplaces - and how they show up across music, screen, theatre, dance, visual arts, games, galleries, museums and independent practice, as well as elsewhere across the creative sector

• What Victorian law now requires of duty holders - including freelancers, sole traders, casual workers and small organisations

• How to identify, assess and control psychosocial risks using WorkSafe Victoria's official tools and framework

• What "duty of care" looks like in practice for creative employers and organisations

• Free WorkSafe Victoria tools and resources - with a live walkthrough so you know exactly how to use them

• Practical next steps you can take immediately

Our speakers:

• Amy Salmon — Principal Psychological Health and Safety Specialist for Strategy, WorkSafe Victoria

• Kirsty Rivers — General Manager, Victorian Music Development Office

• Raag Bhatia — Programming and Community Manager, Miscellania

• Woody — Producer, Beethoven & Dinosaur

• Dr Kim Goodwin — Senior Lecturer in Arts Management and Human Resources, University of Melbourne

The session:
Friday 13 November 2026
9:00am – 1:00pm (followed by informal networking until 1:00pm)
CY Venue, Collingwood Yards, Collingwood, Naarm
Free to attend

Morning tea and light refreshments will be provided.

This event is part of the broader Safer Creative Workplaces Victoria program, delivered by Hey Mate in partnership with WorkSafe Victoria.

DATE AND TIME
Friday 13 November 2026
Doors open: 9:00am
Session: 9:30am – 11:55am
Networking: 12:05pm – 1:00pm

LOCATION
CY Venue, Collingwood Yards
35 Johnston Street, Collingwood, Naarm VIC 3066

Collingwood Yards is accessible by tram (Route 86, stop 13) and is a 10-minute walk from Collingwood and Victoria Park train stations. Bike parking is available on site.

WHAT TO BRING
Just yourself. If you like to take notes, bring whatever system works for you - notebook, laptop, phone, whatever helps you think. We'll have printed materials available on the day.

WHAT NOT TO BRING
No need to bring anything specific - this is not a workbook-heavy session. Please don't feel you need to prepare or do any pre-reading. Just come as you are.

CATERING
Morning tea will be provided on arrival from 9:00am, including tea, coffee and light snacks. Light refreshments will also be available during the informal networking close from 12:05pm.

If you have dietary requirements, please let us know in your registration - we want to make sure everyone is well looked after.

ACCESSIBILITY
CY Venue is step-free and wheelchair accessible. Accessible bathrooms are available. Full venue access details are here.

If you have any accessibility requirements, support needs or anything that would help you participate fully on the day - please let us know in your registration or contact us directly at hello@heymateproject.org
We'll do our best to accommodate.

A HUMAN-CENTRED SPACE
We are committed to making this a safe, inclusive and welcoming event for everyone. We welcome attendees of all backgrounds, identities, abilities and experiences. Respectful engagement is expected from all participants.

If you need a quiet moment during the session, or have any concerns on the day, please speak to any Hey Mate team member.


This event takes place on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. Hey Mate recognises First Nations cultures here in Australia and around the world, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.