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Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected hub shortlisted for Outstanding Music Education Resource Award 2027
We're excited to share that our Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected online hub has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Music Education Resource Award at the Music & Drama Education Awards 2027!
Bringing together research, practitioner insights, videos, conversations and a growing programme of free online events, the hub explores what singing and vocal work can make possible for children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. The recognition is particularly meaningful because it's a resource shaped by the knowledge, experience and generosity of music teachers, practitioners, researchers and young people across the sector.
A resource built around what the sector needs
Launched in May 2026, our Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected publication was developed in response to something we've heard repeatedly from people working with young people: that they're increasingly being asked to respond to mental health needs through their musical practice, often without the support, training or guidance they need.
Our own research helped us understand this gap.
In a 2022 survey, 82% of respondents believed singing had a role in supporting mental health, but only 26% felt very prepared to do so.
A further survey in January 2026 found that 71% described the mental health challenges in their settings as severe or very severe.
Practitioners also told us what would help them most: webinars and short workshops, accessible research summaries, examples of effective practice, and guidance on working with young people with different needs and experiences.
Following the publication's launch, we created the Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected online hub to make its research, insights and practical guidance easier to navigate and access. The hub brings the publication to life through a free, accessible online space where people can browse topics relevant to their work, discover practical ideas, watch videos and take part in ongoing conversations and events about singing and young people's mental health.
Rather than providing a fixed set of answers, the hub is designed to grow as our collective understanding develops, bringing together what we know, what we're discovering through practice, and what we still need to find out.
"It's so much a part of who you are that even if you're completely lost, you can find the confidence, or if you're given a space where you can express something through the voice... [that's] really uplifting"
Jane Wheeler, music animateur - Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected
Connect with the topics that matter to you
One of our priorities was to create something people could use in their everyday work, whether they're a classroom teacher, freelance music practitioner, school leader, music organisation director or mental health professional.
At the heart of the hub is our publication, Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected. The hub is then organised into individual, easy-to-navigate sections, each with a short description of what's covered and tags indicating who might find it most useful. You can begin with the five-minute executive summary, take a deep-dive into a particular area of interest, or move between sections as different questions arise in your work.
Topics include:
Why this matters now: The mental health challenges facing young people, the gaps in existing support and what the evidence tells us.
The current landscape: The difference between supporting general wellbeing and working with young people experiencing mental ill-health.
What does effective practice look like? Creating safe spaces, encouraging choice and agency, and building connection through singing.
What do young people need? Understanding different experiences and adapting practice to support participation.
What does the workforce need? Exploring the skills, knowledge, relationships and wider support practitioners need.
How does it all connect? Understanding how singing might help young people reconnect with themselves, others and the world around them.
Alongside the research, you'll find case studies, practical considerations and links to further resources. And, if you'd prefer to read everything together, the full publication is also available as a free downloadable PDF.
Download the full publication from our Resource Library and keep a copy to read and return to whenever you want
Continuing the conversation through videos and live events
The hub isn't just a resource to read. It's also a place to listen, share experiences and take part in conversations about the questions that matter to people working with young people.
Our launch webinar attracted 251 registrations, filling all available live places, with another 153 people requesting access to the recording. The discussion brought together Professor Graham Welch, Benjamin Turner and our Joint Head Baz Chapman, chaired by Katherine Zeserson, and was subsequently shared through a special episode of our Inspiring Voices podcast.
The hub includes opportunities to revisit these conversations through video recordings and shorter clips, making different perspectives and insights accessible to people who couldn't attend live.
We've also developed a programme of free online events to take some of the questions raised in the publication further.
These sessions cover topics such as young people's choice and ownership of repertoire, songwriting, safe spaces, and the knowledge practitioners need when supporting young people's mental health. Rather than simply presenting information, they create opportunities to hear from experienced practitioners, consider different approaches and reflect on what works in different settings.
As the programme develops, recordings and conversations will continue to add to the hub's resources, making it a space that evolves alongside the work happening across the sector.
Explore the hub and sign up for our next event
A conversation that's already growing
Since its launch, Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected has started conversations across the music education, creative health and mental health sectors.
We've also been delighted to see it shared by organisations across the sector. Youth Music has included it in its IDEA Resource Hub, Music Mark has listed it, and the Music Teachers' Association, British Voice Association, London Arts and Health Forum and National Centre for Creative Health are among those who have helped it reach wider audiences.
The publication was never intended to be the end of the conversation, though, so we've also launched a programme of free live online sessions to take some of its questions further. These sessions will discuss subjects such as young people's choice and ownership of repertoire, songwriting, safe spaces and the knowledge practitioners need when supporting young people's mental health.
These sessions offer opportunities to hear different perspectives, share experiences and consider how the ideas in the publication connect with everyday practice. Recordings also contribute to a growing library of resources that people can return to and explore.
“I’ll never forget how that choir made me feel. It made me feel as though I belonged to something that could do more than I could ever imagine being able to do on my own. But that my little voice, my one voice was an integral part of creating that sound"
Singer, vocal coach and presenter David Grant: Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected
Recognition for a collective effort
Being shortlisted for the Outstanding Music Education Resource Award is a welcome recognition of the work that has gone into creating Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected.
We're especially grateful to the researchers, teachers, music leaders, young people and contributors whose experiences and perspectives have informed it. Their willingness to share what they've learned, including the questions they haven't yet answered, has been central to the hub's development.
The nomination also recognises something we believe is increasingly important: supporting young people's mental health through singing requires more than enthusiasm for music. It needs thoughtful practice, meaningful relationships, appropriate training and support for the people delivering it.
There's still much to learn, and in many areas practice is moving ahead of the research. We hope the publication can continue to bring people together around these questions, helping build a clearer understanding of what singing makes possible and what young people need from us.
Explore Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected
Whether you're a music teacher, practitioner, researcher, school leader or simply interested in the relationship between singing and young people's mental health, we'd love you to join the conversation.
You can read individual chapters online, access the full downloadable PDF, read related resources and catch up with our discussions and webinars.
Explore Being Seen, Being Heard, Feeling Connected and discover what we're learning together about singing, connection and young people's mental health and wellbeing.
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