Singing for Health Research Project

Singing on Thornythwaite Fell 2 fs_edite

The Fellowship of Hill

and Wind and Sunshine

A series of webinars studying the effect that singing has on health and wellbeing, informed by the latest research

Supported by

A partnership between

Singing
for Health Research Project
2023-25

Welcome to the Singing for Health Research Project

This was a collaborative enterprise between the Singing for Health Network, the International Centre for Community Music, and the Royal College of Music, which brought together musicians, researchers and health professionals from across the globe.

While our understanding of the link between singing and health has grown substantially over the past 20 years, we have much more to do to evidence the potential contribution of singing to our health. These events offered the opportunity for researchers and practitioners to share knowledge and look toward future collaborations:

Webinar series running from November 2024 to March 2025
Symposium at the Royal College of Music in April 2025

The project addressed the following questions:

What is the current state of knowledge on the relationships between singing and health and wellbeing?
What theoretical perspectives help to understand how singing impacts health?
What are the priorities for future research in the field?
What guidance does research evidence provide to musicians and health professionals in the effective and cost-effective delivery of singing for health opportunities in communities and the NHS?

We are grateful to our research contributors who are leading international figures in the field. Together, they presented their most recent research, and provided a compass for topic discussions, skill sharing and reflection.

Hear from our chair Dr Stephen Clift:

1. MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING

7 November 2024: AHRC research focus webinar featuring Dr Rebecca Bind (Kings College London), Lorna Greenwood (Breathe Arts Health Research), Calum Smith (World Health Organisation) and Dr Katey Warren (University College London)

2. VOICE & COMMUNICATION

16 January 2025: AHRC research focus webinar featuring Dr Arla Good and Prof. Frank Russo (Toronto Metropolitan University), and Anni Pitkanlemi and Dr Teppo Sarkamo (University of Helsinki)

3. COGNITIVE BENEFITS

27 February 2025: AHRC research focus webinar featuring Dr Becky Downson and Dr Linda O'Raw Oraw (University of Nottingham) and Prof. Christian Gold (University of Bergen)

4. BREATH

27 March 2025: AHRC research focus webinar featuring Dr Adam Lewis (University of Southampton) and Dr Keir Philip (Imperial College London)

AHRC Webinars

- Please note that this project is now complete. Below is for information only -

The webinar series had an overarching design that brings together both research and practice. The webinars specifically linked to the AHRC-funded network were free-of-charge and open to anyone interested in the subject. Complementary events were organised by the Singing for Health Network (SHN), addressing the same themes but through the perspectives of Practitioner-Researchers and Practice & Participant focus.

Chair for all webinars - Dr Stephen Clift

AHRC webinars:

4 x Researchers & Academics focus webinars: Free of charge

All webinars will be recorded and will be freely available.

SHN Individual webinar prices:

4 x Practitioner-Researchers focus: £10 per webinar (£6 for SHN members)
4x Practical & Participant focus webinars: £10 per webinar (£6 for SHN members)

SHN Webinar Package prices:

8 webinars package: £70 (£42 for SHN members). NB anyone signing up for the
8-webinar package will automatically be added to the attendee list for the 4 free-of-charge AHRC webinars.

For Singing for Health Network membership please click here.

All webinars will be recorded and made available to those who have booked.

A small additional service charge is applied to each paid booking by the host platform.

Webinar programme overview

AHRC - Arts & Humanities Research Council funded webinar
SHN - Singing for Health promoted follow-up webinar
All webinars take place on Thursdays and run from 17.00 to 18.30 (UK time)

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
7 November 2024: AHRC research focus webinar featuring Dr Rebecca Bind (Kings College London), Lorna Greenwood (Breathe Arts Health Research), Calum Smith (World Health Organisation) and Dr Katey Warran (University of Cambridge and University College London)
14 November 2024: SHN practitioner-researcher focus webinar featuring Tessa Armstrong (Voices for Life), Dr Dave Camlin (Royal College of Music), Prof. Lauren Stuart (University of Roehampton) and Claire Turner (practitioner-researcher)
21 November 2024: SHN practical & participant focus webinar featuring Tessa Armstrong (Voices for Life), Kat Branch (University of the West of England, Dr Dave Camlin (Royal College of Music), Claire Turner (practitioner-researcher) and Nicola Wydenbach (Sing to Beat, Mind & Soul Choir)

VOICE FUNCTION & COMMUNICATION
16 January 2025: AHRC research focus webinar featuring Dr Arla Good and Prof. Frank Russo (Toronto Metropolitan University) and Anni Pitkanlemi (University of Helsinki)
23 January 2025: SHN practitioner-researcher focus webinar featuring Kerry Devlin and Dr Kyurim Kang (John Hopkins University), Rebecca Moseley-Morgan (British Voice Association) and Patricia Vella-Burrows (Sidney De Haan Research Centre)
30 January 2025: SHN practical & participant focus webinar featuring Rachel Hynes (singer & vocal animateur), Patricia Vella-Burrows (Sidney De Haan Research Centre) and others

COGNITIVE BENEFITS
27 February 2025: AHRC research focus webinar featuring Dr Becky Downson and Dr Linda O'Raw (University of Nottingham) and Prof. Christian Gold (University of Bergen)
6 March 2025: SHN practitioner-researcher focus webinar featuring Taylor Kurta (Wilfrid Laurier University), Liv McLennan (Sounds Better CIC) and Cerys Purser (Warwick, A Singing Town)
13 March 2025: SHN practical & participant focus webinar featuring Sophie Garner (singer & vocal animateur), Vicky Guise (music therapist & neurologic music therapist) and Liv McLennan (Sounds Better CIC)

BREATH

27 March 2025: AHRC research focus webinar featuring Dr Adam Lewis (University of Southampton) and Dr Keir Philip (Imperial College London)

3 April 2025: SHN practitioner-researcher focus webinar featuring Emma Baylin (Shared Harmonies), Helen Hayes (Swell Music CIC) and Ruth Melhuish (Mindsong)

10 April 2025: SHN practical & participant focus webinar featuring Emma Baylin (Shared Harmonies), Emily Foulkes (Music for Good & Singing for Health Network) and Merel van der Knoop (Long Covid Choirs)

Programme

Hear from Emily Foulkes, Director of the Singing for Health Network, about why this programme is so important for anyone involved in Singing for Health:

BOOK THE WHOLE PACKAGE

RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE

The Singing for Health Research Project features 4 cycles of webinars, each anchored around a key topic: Mental Health & Wellbeing; Voice & Communication; Cognitive Benefits; Breath.

Each topic will feature three webinars, all chaired by Dr Stephen Clift and presented as follows:

The first (AHRC) webinar in each cycle will be concerned with researchers and academics in the field sharing their latest research. They will reflect on their choice of study design, considerations for pedagogy, limitations and challenges and how their research fits within the wider context of singing for health and the creative health agenda

The second webinars will involve presentations from practitioner-researchers working in the field, with reflections including their evaluation process, the pedagogical content, ethical frameworks, evidence-based practice, challenges in the field, and future implications.

The third sessions will be an open space for reflection and discussion, with participant voices. With a focus on the practical, there will also be an opportunity to develop and explore practitioner skills and facilitation.

Questions that we will reflect on include;

What does quality look like?
How do we know this works?
How do practice and research inform and connect one another?
Where do we go next?

The second and third webinars are presented by the Singing for Health Network,

and all ticket income will support the ongoing work of the Network.

Academic & Researcher focus - funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (see AHRC Webinars tab)
Practitioner-Researcher focus - presented by the Singing for Health Network (details below)
Practical & Participant focus - presented by the Singing for Health Network (details below)

SHN Webinar listings & booking

BREATH - practical & participant focus
10 Apr 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 BST
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
Dr Stephen Clift (Chair) with Emma Baylin, Emily Foulkes and Merel van der Knoop
Details
BREATH - practitioner-researcher focus
03 Apr 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 BST
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
Dr Dave Camlin (Chair) with Emma Baylin, Ruth Melhuish and others
Details
COGNITIVE BENEFITS - practical & participant focus
13 Mar 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 UTC
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
Dr Stephen Clift (Chair) with Sophie Garner, Vicky Guise and Liv McLennan
Details
COGNITIVE BENEFITS - practitioner-researcher focus
06 Mar 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 UTC
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
Dr Stephen Clift (Chair) with Taylor Kurta, Liv McLennan and Cerys Purser
Details
VOICE & COMMUNICATION - practical & participant focus
30 Jan 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 UTC
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
Dr Stephen Clift (Chair) with Rachel Hynes, Patricia Vella-Burrows and others
Details
VOICE & COMMUNICATION - practitioner-researcher focus
23 Jan 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 UTC
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
Dr Stephen Clift (Chair) with Kerry Devlin, Kyurim Kang, Rebecca Moseley-Morgan and Patricia Vella-Burrows
Details
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING - practical & participant focus
21 Nov 2024, 17:00 – 18:30 UTC
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
Dr Stephen Clift (Chair) with Tessa Armstrong, Kat Branch, Dr Dave Camlin, Claire Turner & Nicola Wydenbach
Details
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING - practitioner-researcher focus
14 Nov 2024, 17:00 – 18:30 UTC
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
Dr Stephen Clift (Chair) with Tessa Armstrong, Dr Dave Camlin, Katarzyna Grebosz-Haring, Prof. Lauren Stewart and Claire Turner
Details
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING - academic & researcher focus
07 Nov 2024, 17:00 – 18:30 UTC
Zoom (joining details 1 hour before)
A Singing for Health Research Project Webinar featuring Dr Rebecca Bind, Lorna Greenwood, Calum Smith and Dr Katey Warran
Details

SHN Webinars

Emily Foulkes explains the vital role of the SHN follow-up webinars:

Please note:

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If you would like to join the Singing for Health Network as a member for £25 per year, please click here.

Singing for Health Research Project 2023-25

Singing
for Health Research Project
2023-25