Community Choirs led by Vicky Sweeney and Kate Rowe

Inclusion Statement

Inclusion is central to our values, and we take care to make sure everyone can access our singing sessions equally.  We strive for continuous improvement and are committed to supporting people with diverse backgrounds, talents, skills, and abilities, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, citizenship or immigration status.  Using these principles, we are committed to cultivating and sustaining a culture of connectedness.

Before you come

If you feel you would like additional clarification about the way we work, please contact us so that we can talk through what to expect in our singing sessions.  Together we can address any needs you may have including communication, health and access.

Below are the things we have attended to in our planning however if there is anything else you need support with, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Anti-Racism and Cultural Honouring

We are aware of the importance of honouring the origins of all songs in our repertoire, however we are unsure of the provenance of many songs that we sing regularly because they stem from an aural tradition, and in many cases, they have been passed from choir to choir.  We are committed to find ways of remembering the original singers of these songs and honouring the culture holders who generously passed them on.

We are also aware that many songs and singing traditions were taken from the people who sung them first without permission, acknowledgement or payment.  As anti‑racist choir leaders we are committed to find ways of redressing these injustices either by choosing not to sing certain songs, by introducing these songs to our choir members with honour for the people who sang them first, or by making reparation payments.

Access

Our choir sessions are in buildings with no steps or steep ramps to the front door and the facilities meet minimum access standards.  However, you might want to check for yourself to make sure it is right for you.  We'd be happy to arrange a pre‑visit to the venue for you and feedback any suggestions you make for improvements.

Blue Badge Parking is available immediately outside our building-based venues (see Wild Singing page for access in our outdoor settings).

While we often teach short songs completely aurally, we also use printed word sheets to teach longer songs.  These are printed in black ink, using at least a 12pt font, on white A4 paper.  Large print format is available on request.

Your Health

Sometimes singing can be an emotional experience and participants may get upset or cry.  This is fine!  You may leave the room anytime you like or stay in the room with your feelings.  Whatever happens, the song will still be there when you!re ready to be welcomed back into it.

We want you to sing with us as often as you can, and for as long as you are able to.  Please talk to us if you are experiencing any difficulty with breath‑work, remembering the words of songs, or if you are feeling confused in some way by our teaching.  If you have developed a health condition that you would like us to know about, please tell us.  We will all work together to improve the situation as best we can.

We always welcome people to sit down and rest whenever they need to during our sessions and we if you choose to sit, we will bring the song and the other singers closer to you.