Valuing Long-Term Intercultural Partnerships

The Sustainable Impact of Skills-Sharing Activities Examined Through an International Partner Questionnaire

Autores

  • Makeda Mitchell Music as Therapy International, United Kingdom
  • Alexia Quin Music as Therapy International, United Kingdom
  • Lucy Elizabeth Bolger The University of Melbourne, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v26i3.4821

Palavras-chave:

international development, sustainability, program evaluation, intercultural partnership, skills-sharing, theory of change

Resumo

This article describes the process of implementing an international partner questionnaire by a music therapy charity with 30 years of experience in intercultural skills-sharing project work. The questionnaire was developed as part of the charity’s practice evaluation, as a way to listen to the voices of skills-sharing project participants across seven countries, who have maintained long-term partnerships with the charity. In this article, we present specific learnings from partner responses to identify six sustainability outcomes evidencing the lasting impact of music therapy skills-sharing for participants and those in their care. We also present the charity’s theory of change, developed in response to the analysis of questionnaire responses. This article provides insight into how to implement a large-scale international questionnaire as part of service evaluation, and insights from listening to partners’ voices about the effectiveness of music therapy skills-sharing in their communities.

Biografia do Autor

Makeda Mitchell, Music as Therapy International, United Kingdom

Makeda Mitchell is a Trustee for Music as Therapy International, having been integral to the charity’s operations since 2018. She joined the charity as Team Assistant, working her way towards her final role as International Programme Manager. Makeda holds a master’s degree in international development and her work in this field to date has largely focused on the development, delivery and evaluation of grassroots training activities. She has worked closely with international partners from diverse settings across 10 countries worldwide, practitioners who have been motivated to improve their education, health and/or social care services, often alongside conflict or political instability. Makeda led the development of the charity’s Theory of Change informed by learnings from partners’ understanding of the difference music therapy informed training made to their care provision. As a Trustee, Makeda plays a part in governing the charity, with a particular responsibility for maintaining the international development mindset of the Board.

Alexia Quin, Music as Therapy International, United Kingdom

Alexia Quin is the founder/director of Music as Therapy International and has steered the charity from its origins in Romania to working in 13 countries (including the UK). She remains actively involved in the delivery of the charity’s activities and regularly teaches, supervises and presents her work. Alexia was awarded the World Federation of Music Therapy Advocate of Music Therapy Award for major contributions to the promotion of music therapy in areas of the world where the profession is less established (2017). She was part of the UK Commission which examined the role of music within the care and treatment of people living with dementia (2018) and was awarded an OBE for services to music therapy (2021). Alexia worked as a music therapist in the National Health Service for 15 years with a clinical specialism of working with children with severe learning disabilities, complex needs, emotional difficulties and challenging behaviour.

Lucy Elizabeth Bolger, The University of Melbourne, Australia

Dr. Lucy Bolger has been a music therapy practitioner and scholar since 2004. She completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2013, examining processes of collaboration with communities supporting marginalised youth. Lucy has worked with people across the lifespan in community and institutional settings, in Australia, Bangladesh and India. She has particular interest and expertise in collaborative processes in music therapy, sustainability-oriented practice, participatory music work with communities and young people, and international development work in music therapy. She is also interested in anhedonia, musical pleasure and mechanisms of action in music therapy, including links to neuroscience and neuroimaging processes. Furthermore, Lucy is interested in understanding how intersecting domains of power and privilege influence understanding and access to music therapy. These interests continue to inform her practice, research and teaching, and are underpinned by a belief that all people have the right to access music as a resource for health and wellbeing.

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Publicado

2026-11-05

Como Citar

Mitchell, M., Quin, A., & Bolger, L. E. (2026). Valuing Long-Term Intercultural Partnerships: The Sustainable Impact of Skills-Sharing Activities Examined Through an International Partner Questionnaire. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v26i3.4821

Edição

v. 26 n. 3 (2026)

Seção

Reflections on Practice

Licença

Copyright (c) 2026 Makeda Mitchell, Alexia Quin, Lucy Elizabeth Bolger

Creative Commons License
Este trabalho está licenciado sob uma licença Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Articles published prior to 2019 are subject to the following license, see: https://voices.no/index.php/voices/copyright