Support the NIA Choir!

In March 2022, the Untold Orchestra ran a one-off choir workshop for women, trans and non-binary people in Hulme and Moss Side and surrounding areas. With many local people attending and sharing how much they would value having this as a regular space in the community, we were keen to ensure we could provide an uplifting space for people in the community and thusly the NIA Choir was formed.

Ran by Nicole Battick and Sylvia Tella with support from Bee Rosebud and Cookie Love, the NIA Choir is one way the Untold Orchestra seeks to create valuable, creative opportunities for the local community. A soul, blues and R&B Choir is open for all women, trans and non binary people to participate and offers a regular space for making new friends, learning a new creative skill and feeling the significant mental and physical benefits that come from singing in a group.

We currently have 100 registered members, with a regular group of 30-40 people attending and others coming when they can. The NIA Choir is free for all participants as too often creative opportunities like this aren't affordable for people. In the coming months especially, it feels imperative that cost should not be a barrier for people to enjoy an uplifting space for creativity outside their normal day-to-day routine.

The NIA Choir is based at the NIAMOS Centre, Hulme - a building with a legacy of creativity and social change that few spaces in the city can compete with. Previously the NIA Centre, it's a building that has hosted artists including Nina Simone, The Beatles, Gil Scott Heron and many more. Now run by local volunteers, the NIAMOS is an incredibly important space for a lot of groups within the community, and we want to encourage anyone reading this to attend events, support fundraisers or volunteer at the centre to help keep the building open.

With its connection to the work of the Untold Orchestra, the NIA Choir isn't your typical community choir. Over the next year there will be opportunities for the choir and orchestra members to collaborate on exciting performances and projects for local residents to attend.

To run for a year (40 weeks after holidays)the NIA Choir costs £16,000. With most of the funds being covered by the Untold Orchestra and supporting funders, we are looking to raise £3000 in this crowdfunder to support the choir's continuation - any funds raised over the £3k target will support the next year of the choir.

We understand the financial difficulties being faced by people in this current climate but if you can make even the smallest of donations to support this project continuing to benefit lots of people in Hulme, Moss Side and surrounding areas, we would be incredibly grateful!