"MUSIC - Supporting People in Depression" campaign summary
40 participants from 7 countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, France, Great Britain, Kosovo and Ukraine) organized open rehearsals, workshops, singing for health, online lectures and singing at holy masses.40 participants from 7 countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, France, Great Britain, Kosovo and Ukraine) from the following 25 cities: Ostrava, Athens, North Norfolk, Odessa, Le Pradet , Prisztina, Katowice, Gryfino, Zabrze, Bydgoszcz, Gliwice, Poznań, Rumia, Warsaw, Komorów near Pruszków, Szczecin, Gostyń, Murowana Goślina, Orzesze, Kraków, Chorzów, Wrocław, Świdnica, Frysztak, Frampol.
On October 4-19, 2023, participants organized open rehearsals, workshops, singing for health, online lectures and singing at holy masses. These events were widely attended by psychologists and therapists from various mental health facilities. We assume that there were more than 600 individuals participating actively as performers in these events and the range of audience was approximately 2000 people.
The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of the disease depression and to encourage people struggling with this disease to take action by contacting a specialist and singing in a choir as an auxiliary element in its treatment and prevention. The action gained the support of the largest choral organization in Europe, the European Choral Association (which awarded this project a micro-grant from the IGNITE program, as the best of the three social projects awarded in this year's competition), as well as the world-famous The King's Singers group from Great Britain, which especially he recorded a short video for its participants.
The event was organized by the Chórtownia Foundation.
Partners: National Conference "Mam Głos", Silesian Association of Choirs and Orchestras and the Artifices Artificibus Association.
Content partners: Music Psychology Zone, PsychoMedic.pl Network of Psychological and Psychiatric Clinics, Optima Diagnostics and Therapy Center, Medica Medical Center.
The action initiated thanks to the establishment of fruitful cooperation, based on strong substantive foundations, including those presented in the "Open Letter" and a summary of numerous studies in the #BenefitsOfSinging campaign, fills an important gap in events - festivals, competitions and other ventures - organized annually in Poland. The visibility of many substantive partners (institutions focused on prevention and mental health protection) actually increases the awareness of participants of concerts, workshops and open rehearsals, as well as passive observers of the action (social media users) about possible ways to seek support. Moreover, "Music - Support for people with depression" changes society's thinking not only about people suffering from depression based on the current state of scientific knowledge, but also about participation in vocal groups as a way to prevent mental health, the first form of support and taking care of the overall well-being of the body. In the future, the initiative has the potential to be an important and significant factor in larger movements and positive actions to develop and promote mental health.