Singing with Additional Needs

2026-07-22

"The SWAN project (Singing with Additional Needs) draws on best practices taking place in different European countries to include people with additional needs in collective singing. These additional needs may arise due to disabilities and/or physical or psychological health issues. The project takes a holistic approach, recognising the complexity and intersectionality of people’s additional needs and the diversity of skills and approaches needed for everyone to be able to enjoy the physical, psychological, social and educational benefits of singing (#BenefitsOfSinging campaign). The project’s objectives are: to collect, scale and promote data and best practices in collective singing for people with additional needs; to facilitate transnational opportunities for collective singing professionals to engage with the best practices of other countries; to develop and make use of digital tools to support people with additional needs in participating in collective singing and to make knowledge internationally accessible. The project includes such activities as the development of digital tools and a best practices database, sharing research, experimentation with and evaluation of certain best practices, networking and knowledge-sharing (hybrid and physical workshops, round-tables, conferences). Concrete outputs include computer scripts and an e-book for singers with visual impairments; reports on research, experimentation and outcomes; a guide for conductors leading a choir for cancer patients; recordings of project events; and a database of best practices. The project expects to benefit hundreds of amateur and professional singers with additional needs, choral conductors/vocal leaders, (potential) organisers of initiatives, with an ongoing benefit to thousands more with the resources and outputs created in the frame of the project. Additionally, we foresee an increase in the quality of inclusion of people with additional needs in collective singing as well as in the quantity of opportunities."

Norway

2025-10-15