About the mentor
Katherine Dennis González is a psychologist, neuropsychologist and co-founder of Expanding Circles, a Berlin-based organisation specialising in psychological education. She combines over twelve years of clinical practice with neuroscience to develop programmes for individuals and organisations operating in demanding, often overwhelming environments. She teaches how to maintain one’s capacity despite pressure and how to restore it when it begins to wane. She collaborates with numerous European film festivals and institutions – including the Berlinale, Locarno, When East Meets West and the Vienna Film Festival – where she offers support to filmmakers working under pressure, in conditions of uncertainty and within systemic constraints.
Lecture
Leading under pressure: Mental health in the creative sectors
Thursday, 12 November, 11.00–11.45
Public event (Registration closes on 10 November. – The registration form is available here.) | In English
This lecture offers an insight into how the mind and body function under prolonged pressure – it explores stress, burnout, the ‘freeze’ response and the processes in the nervous system when uncertainty becomes a constant. Participants will learn how prolonged stress affects their responses and why these are not a sign of personal weakness. The lecture is aimed at leaders in the cultural and creative sectors, as well as all creative practitioners who wish to gain a practical, scientifically grounded framework for making more conscious use of their own mental capacities in challenging circumstances.
Workshop
Understanding the nervous system and building capacity
Thursday, 12 November, 13.00–17.00
Free workshop – advance registration required (Places are limited; register by 10 November. – The registration form is available here.) | In English
The workshop is aimed at creative team leaders and other representatives of the sector who work under pressure and in a state of constant uncertainty, and who wish to develop strategies for working in a challenging environment. Participants will try out practical tools and useful approaches and draw up a workable plan for implementing them in their day-to-day work.
The event is organised as part of the ‘Ambassadors of Health and Wellbeing in the CCS’ project. The project is co-funded by the Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration under the 2025 public call for proposals for the development and professionalisation of NGOs and volunteering from the Fund for the Development of Non-Governmental Organisations.
