Diana is a researcher with a particular interest in diversity and inclusion in adult amateur group singing. After studying modern and medieval languages at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Diana worked in the voluntary sector for many years, moving from frontline roles to managerial positions and eventually to setting up her own business supporting charities with their monitoring and evaluation. During this time, she undertook an MSc in Professional Practice in Research Methods (University of Middlesex) where her research explored the influence of gender on the motivation and benefits associated with community singing in the UK (subsequently published as a chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Music (edited by Graham F. Welch, David M. Howard, and John Nix, 2019). This led her to undertake a doctorate at the Institute of Education, University of London, investigating issues of diversity and inclusion within adult amateur group singing. A literature review carried out to support the doctorate was published in the International Journal of Choral Research (Diversity and inclusion within adult amateur singing groups: A literature review. International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, 2018, 6, 41–65). Her doctorate was completed in 2019 and Diana continues to maintain a strong interest in this area. Current projects include the evaluation of Sound Voice, a project that brings together people with lived experience of voice loss – those affected by motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s and laryngectomies, with world class artists, biomedical researchers, technologists and healthcare professionals – to explore the voice and use this as a catalyst for creative collaboration between the arts, science and technology (www.soundvoice.org).
Diana is also a founder member and current Chair of Trustees for Birth Companions, a charity supporting women facing the most difficult and disadvantaged circumstances during pregnancy, birth and early motherhood (www.birthcompanions.org.uk). Diana was awarded an MBE in 2018 for this work. Diana currently works as a Senior Researcher at the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (www.csacentre.org.uk).
special interests
Participation in group singing; diversity and inclusion; motivations to participate; barriers to participation; disengagement and disaffection; group climate, practices and leadership.
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