ABOUT US
We’re Sister Midnight: part upcoming community-owned venue, part radio station, and a meeting point for South London’s music community. Based in Lewisham, our mission is to create community-led cultural spaces in our borough that champion local music.
Our role in our local scene is to create community-led spaces for grassroots music culture: from throwing parties and putting on gigs, broadcasting on Sister Midnight FM, to opening a venue that is owned and democratically run by the community. We exist to platform local talent, increase access to live music, and bring people together in ways that support creativity, connection, and collective pride.
At the heart of what we do is a belief in the social and political power of music, its ability to unite, to help us understand our identities, and to drive change. By working cooperatively with our community, we’re reimagining what a music venue can be: not just a stage, but a space of belonging, experimentation, and solidarity.
OUR TEAM
Our Board of Directors brings together the experience and vision needed to guide the society’s development and ensure that our values remain at the heart of everything we do. The Board is composed of two permanent Founder Directors and three Elected Directors, with the number of Elected Directors always exceeding the number of Founder Directors to maintain a democratic structure.
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Our current Directors are:
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Lenny – Founder Director
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Sophie – Founder Director
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Damali – Elected Director
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Alex – Elected Director
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Amar – Elected Director​
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Each year, one third of our elected Directors stand down at the AGM, creating opportunities for new members of the society—who have served a minimum of 12 months on the Community Committee—to stand for election.
The Board follows a policy governance model, acting in an advisory capacity to support the Core Team in achieving the society’s operational and strategic goals. By setting clear aims and boundaries, the Board ensures accountability while empowering our Core Team to lead day-to-day operations with confidence and creativity.
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OUR
MANIFESTO
OUR VALUES
South East London has a long legacy of producing exceptional creative talent, and we think that our area deserves to have equivalently exceptional cultural spaces that can continue to nurture and platform talent.
As a community owned & led cultural organisation, we believe we are uniquely positioned to deliver the kind of cultural space that Lewisham needs; accessible, inclusive and shaped by local people.
We want our venue to be a hub of creative and social activity, supporting artistic development and community well-being, and establishing ourselves as an important cultural institute in South London.
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OUR
OBJECTIVES
We want our work to have far-reaching impacts for our wider community and beyond. Some of the Key Objectives that we’re working towards include:
Cultural Objectives
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> Create opportunities for musicians by platforming local emerging talent, and championing South East London’s music culture.
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> Increase participation in live music by creating accessible and inclusive cultural and social spaces in Lewisham Borough
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> Facilitate networking by operating as a creative community hub where people can meet, exchange ideas, and organise.
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Community Objectives
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> Improve community cohesion and combat social isolation by offering a space that welcomes everyone and encourages people to come together
> Empower our community to play an active role in shaping our work
>Increase employability and skills locally by offering volunteer opportunities, work placements and skills training workshops
> Support the local economy by working closely with other local businesses
> Foster a solidarity economy in South East London by working with other organisations to support community wellbeing
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Policy Objectives
> Advocating for policy & systems change that supports culture at a local, regional, and national level
> Advocating for policy & systems change that supports the co-operative economy at a local, regional, and national level
>Supporting co-operative development within our local area and the cultural sector.
Our core values were co-written with our members, and reflect the principles that we believe a community owned music venue should uphold. These values form the core of our organisational ethics and will inform the choices we make throughout the lifetime of Sister Midnight.
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Rooted in Lewisham
We champion our local creatives, businesses, and scenes, because we want everyone in our community to benefit from the cultural value we collectively generate.
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Music Without Barriers
Live music belongs to everyone. We listen, learn, and take action to ensure that everyone can participate, and this work never stops.
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Here to stay
We’re building something that lasts. We’re embedding financial, environmental, and structural sustainability to create a resilient, thriving space for future generations.
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Community as Practice
Community thrives through action. We build it through collaboration, mutual respect, and solidarity, and empower our members to share in this collective responsibility.
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Creativity for Change
Music is a tool for resistance and transformation. The stage is a place to spark dialogue, uplift marginalised voices, and imagine better futures.
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Risk with Purpose
We intentionally back bold ideas, untested talent and new ways of working, because meaningful change has never come from playing it safe.
A COMMUNITY OWNED MUSIC VENUE FOR CATFORD
We're on a mission to create the first community owned music venue in Lewisham Borough. We've secured a site for our venue in a former working mens club in the heart of Catford Town Centre.