This report describes the outcomes of a research evaluation of the 2019 Queensland Music Festival’s (QMF) project, Help is on its Way. The Help is on its Way project was the second national choral initiative to have been programmed as part of QMF’s festival program in recent years with a focus on highlighting pressing social issues. In 2019, Help is on its Way sought to foster a dialogue around positive men’s mental health, and also promote the importance of help seeking behaviours. The project engaged 3,916 choristers from 65 community choirs and 34 schools across all Australian states and territories.
In order to develop a more detailed understanding of participants’ experiences of this project and its outcomes, Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre (QCRC) worked in collaboration with the Black Dog Institute to undertake a research evaluation of this initiative. The research involved a survey with 305 participants from the Help is on its Way massed choir, observations of the final rehearsal and performance, as well as a series of interviews and focus groups with several participating choirs, the massed choir director, and the QMF team running the project.