'The choir with no name'

Brighton homeless choir

Brighton Housing Trust and The Choir with No Name have launched a new partnership to run a choir for homeless and marginalised people in the city. Choir members will be recruited in June 2018. They celebrated the launch with a singing trip up the British Airways i360, with attendees belting out Primal Scream’s “Moving on Up” as they ascended. Sixty people attended the launch including the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Peter Field, accompanied by Mrs. Margaret Field, Deputy Lieutenant Juliet Smith JP, Brighton and Hove City Councillors, and clients and staff from Brighton Housing Trust and from the Choir with No Name.

Running for over ten years

The Choir with No Name has for the past ten years been running choirs for people who have experienced homelessness. They currently run choirs in London, Liverpool and Birmingham. All their choirs rehearse weekly followed by a hot meal together, performing regularly at a wide variety of venues throughout the year. The Brighton choir will offer some of the most marginalised members of the community the opportunity to make friends, grow in confidence and sing away their worries in a safe and non-judgmental environment, empowering them to flourish as individuals and move away from homelessness long term.

Full musical potential

The partnership will see Brighton Housing Trust employ a part-time Choir Manager to run the day to day management of choir rehearsals, performances and volunteers. This role will also provide choir members with direct personal support, signposting and access to services provided by Brighton Housing Trust and other organisations. The Choir with No Name will continue to do what they do best – the music. They will be looking to employ a talented freelance choir director who will lead the choir at rehearsals, gigs and outreach singing workshops, ensuring members reach their full musical potential.

Read about the work of Brighton Housing Trust here