Help us develop free toolkits which support mental health inclusive choirs which are developed by and incorporate your voice!

For the next stage of our project, we are currently looking for UK-based singing groups in June and July to join us to trial and ultimately feed into our evidence-based toolkits. These will have already be informed by our recent open survey which has had over 600 choir leaders and singers feed in (thank you!) but we are looking to put these to practice through fortnightly sessions with a smaller group of singing groups who will put some of the actions and tools to the test and then co-develop a final set of video resources with us.

Interested? Here’s the details

What’s the commitment?

  • We will be meeting as a group fortnightly in June and July for five 2-hour sessions on zoom online. This will be facilitated by the Singing Side By Side group. We will focus on sharing our research and a new tool or resource (e.g. some support for a guided conversation, measurement tools), and we will plan together how we might be able to implement the activities with the rest of your singing group over the following weeks. This will be tailored to suit the needs and time capacity available for each group.

  • As the sessions develop, we will have increasing space to reflect, share learning, guide the programme and get to know each other as a network too!

  • Towards the end of the sessions, we will also work with you as a group to interview each other or members of the choir and develop new resources of your experiences which will contribute to the toolkit and shared freely with others

  • You will be involved as a community-based “action researcher” - meaning your experiences and expertise will be valued equally to ourselves as facilitators - and if you would be interested, you are welcome to also help us co-write (and be attributed) an academic paper on the experience too and of course you and your group will be acknowledged in the final version of the free toolkits.

Who are we looking for?

  • We are looking for group singing leaders interested in discussing and trialling new resources and practical tools to help make their singing group more inclusive to supporting people with diverse levels of mental health.

  • This part of our project will take place in June and July 2021, and participants (choir leaders) would need to be able to commit to five fortnightly meetings in this period (including a kick-off session on the 3 June) and be able to involve their choirs between these sessions. The particular day for meetings will be arranged collaboratively with the researchers and the choir facilitators, but is most likely to take place on a weekday during the early evening.

  • We are looking for participants who support “amateur” or everyday singing activities of any kind, which take place in the community for leisure purposes rather than in a professional, clinical, or formal therapeutic setting. These groups may include (but are not limited to) community choirs, choral societies, musical theatre companies, church choirs and village choirs, choirs established for individuals with particular health conditions, chamber choirs and other informal singing ensembles.

  • We will actively seeking a diverse cohort in terms of protected characteristics (including but not limited to groups supporting diverse ethnic backgrounds, genders, sexuality, disability and/or health conditions) size and musical style and experience of the group.

  • You do not need to be a choir who is explicitly set up to support mental health or wellbeing - we hope the toolkit will be useful for all choirs!

  • This is a voluntary opportunity. However, we are able to provide support for any expenses incurred. Please let us know if there are any additional support needs to support your participation and involvement.

What Next?

  • Please fill out the short form on this page with your information and let us know a bit more about your group, why this might be of interest, if there are any general days or times you are not able to meet.

  • The deadline will be the Friday 28th May and we will be in contact with groups the 28th of May.

  • Our first planning meeting is due to be Thursday 3rd of June, 5 - 7pm.

  • The next sessions will be due week commencing (day to be decided as a group)

    • 14 June

    • 28 June 

    • 12 July

    • 26 July

  • If you have any questions about the process, feel free to use the form or email our Action Research Lead Lewis on Lewis@scienceceilidh.com