Finding belonging through creativity: Children’s Mental Health Week 2026

The creative industries can be a great place for fostering a sense of belonging and community. Many working in the space talk about finding their place and feeling like they can be themselves when surrounded by, and collaborating with, fellow creatives.

For this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week, which has the theme ‘This is My Place’, two of our BAFTA Young Presenters sat down with stars of stage and screen to discuss the idea of belonging.

Since 2016, we’ve had a close partnership with children’s mental health charity Place2Be. A partnership that continues as we support them in promoting self-reflection as a means to build resilience, grow and develop as part of Children’s Mental Health Week 2026.

In a series of videos hosted by last year’s Young Presenter winners Elizabeth Okogwu and Afraz Hussain, we find out how Jacob Anderson, Henry Rowley, Joe Tasker and Arti Shaw have found their place working in the screen industries…

Interview with a Vampire and Game of Thrones actor Jacob Anderson explains how he feels most comfortable when working with others towards a shared goal.

He says: “I feel most like myself when I’m around other people making something kind of like a group project – whether that’s an album or being on set. I think just creating something is when I feel most like myself.”

Part of this is also finding out what you love, he adds: “Figure out what you care about, what you’re interested in. If you find that thing and put as much energy as you possibly can into that thing there will definitely be people in this world on your street/ school/ friendship group that have a similar, or the same, interest. Find those people hold on to them and that gives a sense of belonging.”

Henry Rowley, the comedian and actor who debuts as one of the Merry Men in a new TV adaptation of Robin Hood, says belonging is all about finding your people.

Rowley shares: “When you find your people and when you find you can breathe and relax and actually really express yourself, that’s true belonging and that’s the most important thing.”

Reflecting on his experiences on the Robin Hood set he adds: “There was an immediate sense of belonging with the cast. Everyone was so nice and so welcoming, and it’s such a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason – it was kind of like a family. I think that really helped because you question yourself a lot when it’s your first role but having that brief moment of belonging [it] helps you keep going.”

TV Presenter and YouTuber Joe Tasker speaks about how important it is to not just find your passion but also to allow yourself time to gain confidence. Reflecting on how he feels like he belongs “anywhere where I can make people laugh or try to make people” Tasker acknowledges that building confidence is a process.

He says: “The first time I stepped into a TV studio it was scary, but then again, over time, I got more confident. I felt like, oh yeah, I think this is my place – this is good, I like this. And [it’s] because I can do something I’m good at.”

Tasker also highlighted the importance of just being yourself. The presenter shares: “I think when you feel like you belong, you don’t feel scared or pressured to like act like someone else. You just feel like you can act like yourself and no one’s going to judge you or say anything about you.”

Actress Arti Shah, who has starred in films including Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Attack the Block, and can currently be seen on stage in Paddington the Musical, is a champion of always being yourself.

Talking about how she finds belonging through being herself at work she says: “I feel that I can be myself and I feel really accepted and the industry that I work in it just feels so perfect for me…We have one goal, we have common interests and we’re very likeminded people.”

Shah also adds that our uniqueness is special, saying: “It is so important to love who you are and be who you are. And it’s so important to embrace being unique because we all fit in and our differences are what makes us. And imagine if we all look the same. How dull would society be?”

Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 takes place from 9 -15 February. The aim is to encourage children, young people and adults to embrace self-awareness and explore what it means to them. At the heart of it all is a desire to help young people grow and develop resilience to cope with what life throws at them.

BAFTA’s key activity with primary schools has been running in partnership with children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, since 2016. The Young BAFTA Roadshow with Place2Be is a strand of national/regional all-day school visits taking children’s presenters into schools and running assemblies, workshops and special roundtables. Supported by experts across the screen industries eg games designers, animators, actors, writers. Additionally Young BAFTA supports Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week with online content produced with our Young Presenters.

If you, or someone you know, think you would make a great Young Presenter our 2026 competition has just opened so head on over to our dedicated page and start your entry today.