An evaluation of training using singing as a tool for community building in changing societies

Abstract

This article investigates lived experiences of participation in a training programme entitled 'Singing as a Tool for Community Building in Changing Societies', facilitated by Musicians Without Borders (MWB) and coordinated in partnership with the Health Research Institute PART-IM (Participatory and Arts-Based Methods for Involving Migrants in Health Research) research cluster at the University of Limerick. The aim of this qualitative study is to enhance understanding of participant experience regarding programme delivery, skill acquisition and community building. The research methodology uses an ethnographic framework. Data collection approaches included participant observation, author fieldnotes, individual semi-structured interviews, and an anonymous, post-training, feedback questionnaire. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in three key themes: the importance of expert facilitation; culturally aware contextualizing and conceptualizing of singing; and professional, whole-person support. These themes were cross-referenced against the research categories of delivery, skill and community building. The findings propose the importance of experienced, expert facilitators, contextualized understandings of diverse artistic traditions delivered by a culturally diverse team, and attention to the whole-person needs of both facilitators and participants. This research enhances understanding of participant experiences of arts-based training programmes in singing and the potential application of this learning for using singing as an arts-based research (ABR) method in migrant health research.

Keywords: arts-based research; community music; migrant health; participatory research; singing.