The EVTA Executive Committee is delighted to invite you to our second online event on May 18, 2026 at 19:30 CET (18:30 GMT / 20:30 EET) with a duration of 90 minutes.
Jenna Brown will be continuing our series with a talk ‘Sharing My Voice’: A Young Person’s Story Of Inclusion And Belonging Through Shared Song.

This talk explores sharing, belonging and inclusion within the youth choir. It considers these themes from the perspective of a Ukrainian refugee. A loss of social connection is prominent for refugees and it is suggested that, for adolescents, it is crucial to guide them through these challenges at a time of increased mental health instability. Research on music for health and wellbeing demonstrates singing as a successful intervention for improved mental health in young people. In music education literature, involvement in a choir can develop sense of belonging through increased experience of social connectedness through sharing musical experiences. Inclusion within a community is vital for human flourishing and development. The choral education centre provides time, space and place for fostering meaningful relationships, as well as important musical skills.

The research at the heart of this talk illustrates how music educators (singing teachers and choir leaders) create a safe space that cultivates inclusion and a shared identity, within which the individual’s sense of self is respected and nurtured as a vital component of the collective. It explores pedagogical methods, offering suggestions as to why these strategies enhance belonging and inclusion specifically for young refugees integrating into a new community. It discusses sharing as part of the creative process of choral education, as well as the wider social impacts of sharing performances and how these activities might shape a young person’s experience of belonging in their new community.

The EVTA Executive Committee hopes you will be able to join us for this event!

The deadline for registration is May 17, 2026.