Performance Psychologist

Birmingham Royal Ballet; Park Central; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Birmingham Royal Ballet is seeking a skilled Performance Psychologist to deliver specialist psychological support across our high‑performance artistic environment. You will work with dancers, artistic staff and leaders to strengthen wellbeing, resilience, confidence and performance readiness.

The role combines one‑to‑one support, group education and organisational input to help individuals and teams perform, create and work sustainably in a demanding professional ballet setting.

Qualifications

• HCPC, BPS, BASES/CASES registration required or clearly demonstrated eligibility to register in the UK.
• Evidence of providing psychological support in elite performance, performing arts or high‑pressure environments preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide confidential one‑to‑one psychological support for dancers and staff.
• Develop psychological skills programmes (goal setting, imagery, attention control, self‑talk, relaxation).
• Offer group education, consultation and organisational input to strengthen wellbeing and performance.

Skills

Counselling/psychological support

Performance psychology

Communication

Collaboration

Education

HCPC registered

BPS/BASES/CASES registered

Job description

Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of the world's leading touring ballet companies. Our mission is to reach out and move people with great ballet and music; tour world‑class ballet to the widest possible audiences; create new works that reflect the world we live in; and release the creative potential in people of all ages and backgrounds.

Birmingham Royal Ballet is seeking a skilled and collaborative Performance Psychologist to provide specialist psychological support across our high‑performance artistic environment. This is an opportunity to work closely with dancers, artistic staff, healthcare colleagues and leaders to strengthen wellbeing, resilience, confidence, communication and performance readiness across the company.

The successful candidate will combine one‑to‑one support, group education, consultation and organisational input, helping individuals and teams to perform, create and work sustainably in a demanding professional ballet setting.

What You'll Do:

Psychological Support for Dancers

• Provide confidential one‑to‑one psychological support for dancers, within the boundaries of professional competence and agreed clinical governance.
• Support dancers with performance anxiety, confidence, focus, motivation, resilience, perfectionism, injury response, return to performance, career transition and the psychological demands of rehearsal and performance.
• Develop individual psychological skills programmes, including goal setting, imagery, attention control, self‑talk, relaxation, emotional regulation and pre‑performance routines.
• Work collaboratively with healthcare, artistic and coaching colleagues to support dancer wellbeing and performance while maintaining appropriate confidentiality.
• Contribute to early identification of psychological concerns and signpost or refer to clinical psychology services where appropriate.

Support for Artistic Staff and Leadership

• Provide consultation to artistic staff on psychologically informed approaches to rehearsal, feedback, performance preparation and dancer development.
• Support leaders and rehearsal teams to build environments that promote psychological safety, sustainable excellence, motivation and effective communication.

Offer training and reflective practice sessions for ballet staff/repetiteurs, choreographers and managers on topics such as confidence, pressure, injury psychology, identity, resilience and wellbeing culture.

• Advise on strategies to support dancers during casting changes, touring, creation periods, intense rehearsal blocks and performance runs.

Company‑Wide Wellbeing and Performance Culture

• Design and deliver workshops, resources and education sessions for the wider company on psychological wellbeing, stress management, performance sustainability, healthy high‑performance culture, effective communication, conflict resolution and psychological safety.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary planning across healthcare, artistic, learning, touring and production teams where psychological insight can improve outcomes, including organisational change initiatives and workforce wellbeing planning.
• Act as an independent and trusted resource for staff experiencing workplace challenges, providing psychologically informed support and facilitating informal mediation and constructive dialogue where appropriate.
• Support organisational initiatives that reduce stigma around mental health, encourage timely access to help and promote positive staff engagement, wellbeing and organisational culture.
• Contribute to the design, interpretation and evaluation of staff wellbeing, engagement and culture surveys, identifying themes and providing evidence‑informed recommendations.
• Provide evidence‑informed advice on policies, pathways and practices relating to performer wellbeing, psychological support, safeguarding and the people impact of organisational change.
• Identify emerging themes and organisational risks affecting wellbeing, engagement and performance, while maintaining appropriate confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Contribute to evaluation of the service through appropriate feedback, staff engagement measures, outcome metrics and reporting, while protecting individual confidentiality.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK

A successful candidate must have proven psychology experience, be HCPC, BPS, BASES/CASES registered. Evidence of providing psychological support in elite performance, performing arts, sport, or another high‑pressure environment would be desirable.

Diversity Statement

Birmingham Royal Ballet encourages applications from ethnic minority communities, as we strive to improve representation in this area.