Community Singing for Adults with a Learning Disability (Southeast)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An evaluation of a weekly community choir for adults with a learning disability
IRAS ID
265167
Contact name
Esther Coren
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Canterbury Christ Church University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
People with a learning disability face barriers when participating in mainstream societal activities. Barriers include accessing venues or trained staff, emotional barriers, and/or financial barriers. Exclusion leads to social isolation, loneliness, and resistance to participating in society. With an estimated 1.4 million people living with a learning disability in the UK, knowledge of these challenges is growing, as is a drive to develop more inclusive forms of social and leisure activities for people with a learning disability.
Therapeutic music activities improve participation, and evidence also suggests that music programmes benefit people with a learning disability in intra-personal, relational, and social values. Involvement in these activities helps people with a learning disability develop confidence, self-esteem, and feelings of acceptance.
The current study was developed based on the success of a community learning disability choir called High Notes. Based on the principles of the High Notes Choir, and to evaluate the impact of a learning disability choir, an evaluation has been created by the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health (SDH) at Canterbury Christ Church University in collaboration with East Kent Mencap (Sheppey Branch). The choir will be established and managed by East Kent Mencap (Sheppey Branch), and evaluated by SDH. The High Notes choir facilitator will train experienced East Kent singing facilitators, local singing-experienced choir volunteers, and 4-6 Mencap support workers to run the choir. Once the choir is created, it will take place weekly at East Kent Mencap premises (Sheppey Branch).
The primary aim of the evaluation is to examine the effects of the choir on the participants’ quality of life. Other outcomes include self-esteem, social inclusion, stigma, and life experience. Data will be collected prior to starting the choir, midterm (approximately 5 months) and again at the end of term/final performance (approximately 11 months).REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
19/IEC08/0061
Date of REC Opinion
10 Feb 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion