The SingWell Project is an interdisciplinary network dedicated to investigating and advocating for the power of group singing for people living with communication challenges (CCs). SingWell considers group singing to be a meaningful social activity that has the potential to support communication function and social wellbeing.

On November 11, 2022, SingWell held its first symposium, bringing together a network of world-class researchers, practitioners, and non-governmental organizations for a day of knowledge sharing and learning. The hybrid event was well attended by supporters from across Canada and internationally. The one-day symposium featured a variety of research presentations and workshops exploring topics such as benefits of singing for Parkinson’s disease, what motivates people to participate in health choir, and best practices for virtual singing groups. You can view the full video playlist of the presentations on YouTube here.

Thinking about running a singing group for people living with CCs? 

There are countless ways to lead a singing group. First ask yourself - what are the outcomes you want to achieve with your group? E.g., sounding great for an upcoming performance; making new friends; strengthening the vocal cords? SingWell has been asking the directors of singing groups around the world to share their advice for setting up and conducting a singing group for people living with CCs. Check out a compilation of these tips and best practices available on our website.

If you already run a singing group for people with CCs, you are invited to contribute to this growing dataset! Click here to fill out the survey to help inspire and inform future singing groups!

You can learn more about SingWell by visiting www.singwell.org, or you can follow them on Twitter and TikTok.