In a progressive city such as Bristol, where Colston's statue came down and global movements have started, there is a strong desire to implement positive social change that includes everyone. And, in reality, we're all still learning how best to do this, and we've all got a long way to go. 

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We believe that any singer who has invested in their artform, should be included and counted in music industry opportunities, regardless of their age, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, neurodiversity or health condition.

 

We also believe that choirs are an incredible model for practising equality, diversity & inclusion.

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What is a 'safe space'?

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“a place or environment in which a person or category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment or any other emotional or physical harm.” (Oxford Dictionary).

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We aim to create a safe + inclusive space for:

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Women - The majority of singers in most choirs are female-identifying who, statistically, receive the highest percentage of unwanted sexual attention, harrassment and assault than any other societal group. Sexism, misogyny, period discrimination, sexual harrassment + sexual misconduct are not acceptable in this project. 

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LGBTQ+  - We celebrate diversity in gender and sexual orientation, and encourage a culture of appropriate pro-noun usage, gender-inclusive address, and a permission to be you. We challenge choral gender stereotypes relating to vocal range and performance costume. 

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Ethnic Minorities - We acknowledge the barriers there can be when joining UK choirs, that have predominantly white membership. We wish to welcome you, and deepen our understanding of how we can help you feel more included. We wish to reassure people from minoritised ethnic communities, that we have a zero tolerance of racist language, attitudes and / or behaviour. 

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People of all ages (16+) - We believe that one of the joys of choral singing is that it can be a multigenerational social activity, and we welcome applications from people of all ages 16+.

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People with disabilities, neuro-diversity, and / or health conditions - Many people live with limitations on their physical, emotional & mental abilities which, often, are 'invisible'. We wish to promote a culture where physical 'ableism' is not pitted as the 'norm', and we wish to reassure new applicants that you will never be unfairly discriminated against by us because of a condition or limitation you may be experiencing. You are always welcome to sit down or out in rehearsals where needed, and we will do our best to support any other needs you may have, within our own ability. 

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Religious Beliefs - We sing non-denominational, humanitarian music, which focuses on including universal values commonly shared by ideologies from around the world, e.g. connection, kindness, love. We do not discriminate against any religious belief, and hope that all faiths can find the message in our songs accessbile and life affirming.

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Diverse Musical Backgrounds - We wanted to create a project that celebrates and includes different pedagogies and approaches to music education. We use western notation and find it useful, but we don't believe this defines your ability as a musician. We welcome singers who learn by ear, and provide recorded learning material also. ​​

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Men - We see and salute you as a minority group in choirs, and understand that there can also be barriers towards joining them for this reason. We also know that you get blamed for everything that's wrong in society, and we don't seek to reinforce this. If you are joining a choir, you are part of the solution, not the problem, and we wish to help you feel supported and included also.

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It's clear that when there is diversity in nature, it thrives. And, just like in nature, everything has its limitations. Please read below to understand ours, and what aren't able to support. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch before joining.

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Our limitations:

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Safe Space Agreement - Creating a 'safe space' requires the active collaboration of each member. It is a reciprocal, not a passive experience, and it is for everyone, not just some people. Being in a choir is a socially dynamic experience, where to create a 'safe-space' also requires being in a 'brave space': stepping out of comfort zones, having courageous conversations, owning our experiences, taking responsibility for our needs, empowering vulnerability, and acknowledging that discomfort + growth often go hand in hand toward meaningful progress. 

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Movement - We believe that music is an embodied, physical practise. Some of our exercises will involve walking and / or moving in the space. If you have mobility limitations, you are always welcome to adapt any of these exercises, and / or sit them out. 

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Physical Proximity - In order to hear one another as a choir, we need to be physically close to each other, within reason. This will always be whilst respecting personal space, but if you are socially distancing for whatever reason, this is something to be aware of. 

 

Touch - Some of our exercises may include light, respectful touch, e.g. a hand on a back. This is only with your consent, you are always welcome to opt out, but you will need to be able to self-advocate. We aim to create a safe space  to do this without judgement.​

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Lighting + Venue Limitations - It is rare to find venues to rehearse and perform in that are quirk-free, and meet every need possible. Our current rehearsal venue offers us so much as a space, and we have little control over lighting, which is either very bright or very dark. 

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Performances + Mobility - We have space and flexibility in our rehearsals to sing in whatever positions needed, but in performances we have to work with the limitations of a venue's staging. Sometimes we will be standing for up to an hour at a time during performances. We can provide seating where possible, but every performance venue will differ, and it may mean that you won't be singing in your section. We need singers to be pro-active and collaborative in finding solutions, and aware of the challenges and limitations involved in performing. 

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Contagions - Many of our members are professional voice users, who rely on their vocal health to make their income, and / or may have vulnerable conditions e.g. autoimmune diseases, which even a common cold can be harmful towards. Regardless of whether it is covid, we ask members to practise self care & social responsibility around any contagious illness you may have i.e. please rest & recover first. 

 

Attendence & Personal Practise - The ability to attend rehearsals and make time for personal music practise, is an unavoidable part of working towards performances. We ask for singers to aim to miss no more than 2 rehearsals per term, and if this has not been possible, that you are able to catch up on missed rehearsals + music practise in your own time. If we believe that a singer is not performance ready, you may be asked to put in some extra practise, and we may need to ask you to not take part in a performance. 

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Memorising - In order to achieve an optimum performance experience for our singers and audience, e.g. presence, responsiveness, enjoyment, we memorise our music and work towards being off score in our main shows. If you have a learning disability that might struggle with this, this is something you may need to create extra time + support for. 

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Concentration -  We want everyone to have fun, but we need to ask that singers are able to bring back and retain focus when asked, so that we can make the most of our time. If you have a condition that greatly impacts your ability to focus, e.g. advanced ADHD, we need you to be able to use your own strategies to regulate this, and respond to agreed cues and feedback. This is to include the needs of everyone else in the group, so we can honour what we've gathered to do. If this is not something you feel able to do, this may not the right activity for you. ​

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Musical Ability - Due to time, pace, complexity of material, and the demands of live performance, this project isn't suitable for singers who are not yet able to match pitch or hold a vocal harmony with confidence.  This is not to intentionally disclude or discourage beginner singers, but to provide opportunities for singers who have already invested in their skills. We believe that everyone can sing, and has the right to. There are plenty of open access choirs in Bristol that can offer additional support in building foundational skill, that allow the time + space to grow without pressure. Investing in regular one-to-one singing lessons, however, is the most effective way to develop your singing ability and confidence.​

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Mental Health & Wellbeing - Singing is naturally beneficial to positive mental health & wellbeing, and singing with others can have a deeply theraputic effect. We sometimes use exercises taken from vocal yoga and sound therapy traditions, but these are to be considered 'complementary'. The choir is not a replacement for clinical therapy or social welfare, and each member is responsible for their own mental health & wellbeing when taking part in the project. Please use tools to manage any conditions and seek additional external support where necessary.

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Interpersonal Relationships - Please remember that this is a choir, and the primary intention is singing. We are not branded as a ‘sex-positive’, ‘polyamorous’ or 'speed dating' project, and we are not qualified to hold or guide the complexity of relational dynamics that can come with these approaches. Group singing generates a ‘natural high’ that invites bonding, belonging, vulnerability, and immediate trust. It can be like a 'love drug', and so it needs to be respected as such i.e. it still takes the same amount of time to get to know people and build lasting trust. We are also not branded as a project for vulnerable adults, but some singers may be experiencing more vulnerability than others in their lives, and have joined a choir to reinforce a sense of stable community + 'safe space'. We ask that members check their priviledge + exercise social awareness when pursuing romantic interest, understanding that this can impact the choir experience for you and others. It is not the project’s responsibility to interject in personal relationships, but situations will need to be addressed if they distract from the main aims, or cause harm to others i.e. if you are 'making your way through the group', you may be asked to leave. ​For clarity + inclusion, we don't encourage nudity or allow group-sex invitations. ​Be good to yourselves + each other, and help us to focus on our job which is providing awesome music.

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Female Leadership Style - This project was founded and is run by a female director, with progressive feminist values. Isolde's leadership style has been described as warm, gentle, good-humoured, fun, compassionate, welcoming and inclusive. This is not without strength, limitations and healthy boundaries. If you are needing 'traditional' masculine leadership in order to accept direction, or experience difficulty with women in positions of leadership and non-traditional roles, this  won't be the right project for you.

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We Are Human - ​​​​​We are a home-grown, independent, self-funded project run by freelance music professionals + volunteers. We are not backed by a larger institution with 100s+ of employees, and we aren't a faceless corporation run by bots. We are primarily here and qualified for music, and are limited in additional time, resource and expertise in supporting complex needs beyond what we support.  We also have access / health / work / life needs to include in how we manage a fairtrade, work-life balance. We are warm squidgy humans just like you, so please treat us how you would like to be treated, and appreciate that so much more goes into creating this project than you can see. We are not able to respond to all feedback, requests, or needs, especially without patience, understanding and kindness. We get a lot of emails + requests, and sometimes we need a reminder to respond. We will get things wrong sometimes and delivery is an ongoing work in progress. We do our best, we generally do a good job that delivers our promises with positive reviews, and we are up for learning and starting valuable conversations that help us all to grow.​

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