About

Rehearsal venue and access info

We rehearse at IKB Academy, 68 Bath Road, Keynsham, BS31 1SP. It’s directly on the bus route with easy access on public transport from both Bristol and Bath. There’s free parking on site, including accessible parking spaces at the front by the entrance.

Our rehearsal room is the main hall of IKB Academy. To get there, turn left immediately after exiting Broadmead roundabout. You will see IKB written on the building. Go through the main door through reception and go straight ahead, either up some steps or using the lift, to the open space which is the main hall.

There are gender neutral toilets available as well as an accessible toilet. The venue is wheelchair-accessible. For any other access info please get in touch.

When do we rehearse?

We rehearse on fortnightly Sunday afternoons. South West Queer Orchestra is 3-4:30pm, and South West Queer Wind Band is 4:30-6pm. You can find our rehearsal dates here.

Who is it for?

Everyone is welcome! There are no auditions. Whether you are a confident player or whether you haven’t picked up your instrument in a while, the groups are a non-judgemental space, and the focus is on enjoyment rather than being note-perfect. If you enjoy playing, and would like to be part of a queer musical community, then these groups are for you.

All instruments are welcome in the orchestra, and all wind, brass, percussion etc are welcome in the wind band. You are very welcome to play in both the Orchestra and Wind Band!

We are aimed at adults over the age of 18, but under 18's are very welcome if accompanied by an adult.

Whilst we are primarily aimed at queer people, friends and allies are always very welcome, so please do feel free to bring people along with you!

We are trans-positive

South West Queer Orchestra and Wind Band are trans-led.

We know that it can sometimes be daunting being trans and entering general LGBTQ+ spaces. We’d like to reassure you that the groups are trans-led and trans-positive spaces.

What does a typical rehearsal look like?

You are welcome to arrive any time, and we will aim to start playing at 3pm ish for the Orchestra, and 4:30pm ish for the Wind Band, but if you can’t get here until later it’s not a problem - still feel free to join us. Around the half way point we have a break for a few minutes, during which you are welcome to stay in the hall and chat, go outside, have some time to yourself, go to the toilet etc. Whilst this is the only scheduled break, you are welcome to step out and take a break at any point during the rehearsal. If you need to leave early for any reason then please do.

Do I need to bring anything with me?

As well as your instrument, please bring a music stand with you if you have one!

What types of music do you play?

We aim to play a range of music genres including pop, classical, musical theatre and jazz, so we hope that there’s something for everyone!

What does it cost?

Your first rehearsal is free for you to try it out! After that we have a pay-what-you-can system, with a suggested price of £59 per term per group, but you can enter any amount. If you need to pay less than this then please do. If you have the means to and would like to pay more then please do. The money goes towards covering the costs of running the groups. If you can’t pay at all then please still get in touch!

If the Musical Director is unwell and unable to attend a rehearsal, one of three things will be the case: the rehearsal will go ahead with someone else leading the rehearsal, an extra rehearsal will be scheduled to make up for it, or if neither of the first two scenarios are the case, you will be offered a refund of the relevant proportion of your payment. This is the only scenario where payments will be refunded.

When can I join?

You are welcome to join our groups any time, but you might find it easier to join in the first few rehearsals of any term. During each term we work on the same selection of pieces and build on previous weeks of learning, so if you join near the start of a term then you will be in the same boat as everyone else. The term dates can be found here. However, you are welcome to join whenever you’d like. Feel free to come to your first rehearsal for free to see if you like it.

How do I join?

Either send us a message here or message us on Instagram @southwestqueerorchestra @southwestqueerwindband to let us know you’d like to join. If you send us a message on here and don’t hear back from us within a few days, please check your spam folder as some of our emails have been going straight to spam.

You can pay for the term here.

Why are there no photos of the groups online?

We’ve made the decision to not take photos of our members, so that if you are not out or have other photo-related concerns then we hope that you still feel able to join us and fully participate. We have a strictly no photos or videos policy at all of our rehearsals and events.

What if I have COVID symptoms?

If you have COVID symptoms or symptoms of other infectious respiratory illnesses, then we ask that you please do not attend that week, in order to keep everyone safe. Some people are at a greater risk than others, and we want the groups to be as inclusive as possible.