Sheffield Choir Manager (pilot - 4 months fixed term contract)

The Choir with No Name (CWNN) run choirs involving people affected by homelessness across England and Wales. We were founded on the premise that singing with others makes you feel good; it distracts you from all the nonsense in life and helps you to build confidence, skills and genuine, long-lasting friendships. Each choir gets together to rehearse every week and share a meal together at the end of rehearsal, welcoming everyone, regardless of background, characteristics or idiosyncrasies. We want everyone involved in the Choir with No Name to feel they belong in our community.

The Sheffield Choir pilot is being established in partnership with the Archer Project and Sheffield Cathedral, who support homeless and vulnerable people in Sheffield. Rehearsals will take place every Wednesday evening at 6.30pm at Sheffield Cathedral. Our rehearsals follow the usual Choir with No Name format of tea, biscuits and a chat before rehearsal, then 1 hours of joyful singing (mostly pop and rock, arranged for mixed ability in 3- and 4-part harmony) followed by a free hot meal for members. Splendid!

We are committed to co-production. Co-production means that people with lived experience of homelessness work alongside others to deliver all aspects of our work. Our Sheffield Choir Manager will be vital in helping us achieve this aim, working alongside choir members to develop the skills needed to steer their own choir projects and fully share the control and direction of the organisation.

The Sheffield Choir pilot aims to run for three months (12 weeks) with space either side for training and evaluation. We hope to be able to continue the pilot beyond the 12 weeks and are actively fundraising to make the Sheffield Choir a permanent fixture in the Sheffield cultural scene.

The Choir Manager will take a central role in the creation of this exciting new choir in Sheffield. We're looking for someone with strong project management skills, able to organise the project so that our members can safely access weekly rehearsals Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings and perform two gigs during the pilot. The Choir Manager will be working in close partnership with the choir director who will lead the choir musically, as well as with the Archer Project and Sheffield Cathedral teams. The Choir Manager is also responsible for looking after a small group of dedicated volunteers who will help with preparing a hot meal after rehearsals and offering pastoral support to members. We're looking for someone with some experience in working alongside vulnerable people, offering support and signposting members to specialist services on occasions. It s a busy and varied role which should be a lot of fun and has plenty of support from the wider Choir with No Name programmes team as we launch this exciting new project!