Lancashire County of Song has launched a complete and richly illustrated guide designed to help grassroots singing groups attract and retain new members. This free-to-use toolkit is one of the most comprehensive ever created in the UK.
The toolkit, hosted by Arts Lancashire, is aimed at community choirs, singing groups and groups that use singing as their social activity, as well as those with specific aims including singing for health and dementia choirs.
Singing is a popular pastime in the UK, with an estimated 2.14 million people taking part in choirs regularly. But for most choirs, how to maintain membership and develop is an ongoing challenge. The “Holding Our Breath” survey, initially commissioned by Lancashire Encounter Festival and now hosted by Arts Lancashire showed that 98% of Lancashire’s singing groups were looking to recruit new members, and 30% were concerned about their long-term future if they failed to do so.
The creation of the choir recruitment toolkit is a direct response to the needs expressed by Lancashire choirs. Based on practical advice from over 20 choirs and musical directors, the guide emphasises Lancashire choirs’ particular needs, including retaining existing members; linking with music education hubs to attract younger members; building and maintaining an online presence; setting goals and making plans, and developing approaches to inclusion and diversity.
Naomi Albans, Outreach Manager, Hope Mill Theatre School Principal, said,
“This is such an amazing resource both for new choirs and existing groups. It is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on your practise and how you can better serve your members. It will be a valuable tool for choir leaders and organisers to learn from others and not have to go it alone.”
Singing is a widely enjoyed and hugely beneficial activity across the county with proven effects in combating isolation, reducing postnatal depression, improving lung health, and supporting overall health and wellbeing. Lancashire County of Song has recently launched a mapping project in partnership with the National Centre for Creative Health, with over 130 groups and projects that meet regularly, involving many thousands of people, currently registered. This includes over 20 singing groups in Lancashire specifically working with people living with dementia.
Councillor Peter Buckley, cabinet member for Community and Cultural Services, Lancashire County Council, said:
“Lancashire County Council is committed to strengthening singing groups of all ages and I am delighted to support the launch of the Lancashire County of Song toolkit. Lancashire County of Song reinforces our commitment to promoting culture and community engagement and complements our successful Lancashire Choir of the Year competition, which is now in its fourth year. The new toolkit reflects the needs expressed by our local choirs and aims to help with their long-term sustainability by recruiting new members. I encourage all singing groups to make full use of this invaluable resource.”
Toolkit author and Director of Lancashire, County of Song, Loz Kaye, will be sharing insights from the research behind the document and key data from the Lancashire, County of Song choir mapping project as well as tools to help choirs plan sustainable development in an online webinar “Crescendo: Growing Your Choir” on Friday 28th March at 6pm -7.30pm.
As well as the toolkit, choir mapping project, and nomination of community singing champions, Lancashire County of Song have promoted public events, conducted outreach visits, developed partnerships, commissioned music, and contributed expertise to healthcare settings.
To date, Lancashire, County of Song has reached 2600 people with public events, workshops and engagement opportunities. 133 singing groups have linked up with the Lancashire Community Singing Map to date and partnerships with Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council, Arts Council England, the National Centre for Creative Health and UCLAN have been strengthened in order to support singing groups, musical practitioners, festivals, regional arts organisations, healthcare initiatives and academic research.
Information about Lancashire, County of Song can be viewed, shared and added to through the Arts Lancashire website.
Book on to the “Crescendo: Growing Your Choir” on Friday 28th March here.