14 May 2025
Together Productions have this week launch a new free online resource for singing and choir leaders.
The Singing for Our Minds resource is funded by the Baring Foundation and follows a 2021 grant to Together Productions for the Singing for Our Minds programme, which provided training and support for artists, producers and singers from Global Majority backgrounds who wanted to run their own choirs or singing groups that support mental health and welcome people with mental health problems.
The resource consists of eight podcasts featuring discussions and interviews with some of the leading experts in the UK on choral singing, mental health, conducting and wellbeing.
The podcast is hosted by Jeremy Haneman, Nicola Wydenbach and Aga Serugo-Lugo who all have extensive choral leadership experience. Nicola leads the Mind and Soul Choir which began life at the Maudsley psychiatric Hospital in south-east London.
Guests interviewed include leading vocal facilitators Dr Amy Bebbington, Naveen Arles and Tom Herring, as well as singing and trauma experts Darren Abrahams and Nadine Benjamin MBE, long time BBC Singers member Edward Price, and music and mental health researcher Dr Yoon Irons and consultant nurse in mental health Ian Noonan, as well as performance poet Zena Edwards.
Example episodes include:
- Embedding the 5 ways to wellbeing in choirs;
- Understanding trauma’s impact on the voice;
- Balancing inclusivity and artistic vision; and
- Balancing artistic integrity and self-care as a singing leader.
In addition, illustrator Annalees Lim has created three visual summaries and timelapse videos to highlight key ideas from the podcasts.
Read more about the original 2021 Singing for our Minds programme here.