What is co-production?

Co-production is when an organisation ensures its members and volunteers are involved in decision making and take part as much as they want in every aspect of its management. Co-production is a vital part of Choir with No Name’s approach. It challenges us to ensure our members are included in decision making and engage in services they’ve helped to shape.

Why is co-production important to us?

  • It shares skills, strengths, and resources.

  • It creates transparency and makes it clear how and why decisions are made

  • It makes us more inclusive as an organisation and helps us challenge negative perceptions of people who have survived homelessness.

  • It offers ways that people can feel more empowered and in control.

What are our key co-production principles?

The Choir with No Name adopt thse principles as an essential part of the way decisions are made by choirs and the central team.

No one person holds the truth. Everyone has something to contribute.

We are always open to questions about decisions and structures within our choirs, central team and Board of Trustees. This may not be easy, but if we always question, act, review and redo it will become second nature to us.

We are ‘strength based’.

We always highlight the strengths and resources that our members bring with them. Everyone is encouraged and supported to participate at every level and in any way they can or wish to.

We stay true to ourselves and our values.

Our core offer is for members to be welcomed, to sing their heart out and eat together. This must remain our central aim, without any other expectation from members. But we will also ensure there is the option to contribute more if they want to.

We work together, but Choirs can shape it in their own way too.

Although it’s important for CWNN to be consistent in its approach and strategy, we will ensure choirs can shape their own approach. This is because each choir is at a different stage of development and operates within a different environment. We want them to have control over the decisions that affect them.