About Us
Sounds Between CIC is a female-led Community Interest Company based in Peckham, South East London. Founded by Sian Rees in December 2022, and registered as a CIC in September 2025, we create inclusive, accessible spaces where London's diverse creative communities connect through live music, dialogue and collaboration.
We grew out of three years of activity under Refugee Solidarity South East, a mutual-aid network. That foundation of social engagement still runs through everything we do, from how we programme to how we price a ticket.
We're trying to build something that lasts — a music platform run by and for the community, where the door price is fair, the artists get paid, and the room feels like it belongs to everyone in it.
What we do
The People's Sessions
Intimate live performances and open jams. A low-key room where musicians try things out, audiences listen closely, and the line between stage and floor gets thin.
The People's Grooves
Late-night events combining live musicians with DJs. We programme across genres, jazz, electronic, Afrobeat, broken beat, whatever feels right, because good music doesn't need a genre fence. Running since 2024.
Flash Folk
A participatory singing project and pop-up vocal collective. We learn, sing and reclaim old songs of land, labour and resistance from the British Isles and beyond, uncovering the politics carried within them. Same-day gathering, rehearsal and performance, open to all. Medieval songs for the many.
Community Festivals
Lunova Festival, our one-day multi-artist event, launched in 2025. Local stages, real artists, fair prices. SE Solidarity Social, an outdoor festival at Glengall Wharf Garden with local stalls, community groups, activist organisations, live music, hot food and arts and crafts.
Our impact
We're a small organisation with a measurable impact. Here's what we've delivered since 2022:
- 30+ events produced across South East London and beyond
- 10–12 events delivered each year, building consistent programming
- 50–350 attendees per event, across Peckham, Lewisham, Hackney, Dalston, Catford and Deptford
- 100% of artists paid from the first show
- 100% of artists programmed from marginalised backgrounds
- Continued commitment to platforming female, diasporic and queer artists
- 10+ venue partnerships with independent spaces including Peckham Levels, Fox & Firkin, Grow, The Jago, Ninth Life, Glengall Wharf Garden and The Post Bar
- £24,000 secured in funding in one year (2025–2026), including:
- £10,000 Convocation Trust
- £8,000 PRS Foundation Early Career Promoter Fund (first project to secure this twice)
- £6,000 Southwark Council
- 50% funding success rate across applications to date
- Over £5,000 raised for charitable projects through community-led fundraising
- Originating from a community project recognised with a London Mayor's award during COVID-19 for community contributions
What drives us
Four things shape how we work. They're not a checklist — they're just how we think about what we're doing.
We take the music seriously
We programme across genres — jazz, electronic, Afrobeat, folk, experimental — and back artists who don't have a platform on the commercial circuit. Small scale doesn't mean low ambition. Every event matters, so we treat it that way.
The room should reflect the city
Affordable tickets, welcoming spaces, gender-balanced lineups, venues you can actually get to. We reach people across South East London who don't always see themselves in the music scene. If that's you, the door's open.
We adapt
Acoustic sessions, late-night dancefloors, pop-up choirs, day festivals, outdoor gatherings — each format exists because our community asked for it. We listen, test, learn and adjust. That's how a small organisation stays useful.
Low-impact by design
Local venues, public transport routes, minimal waste, low-impact production. We're not perfect, but we're deliberate about the choices we make.
Our values
Inclusivity
Gender-balanced lineups, accessible spaces, anti-elitist language. Come as you are.
Accessibility
Affordable ticket pricing (£6–£10) and transparent communication. No hidden costs.
Creativity
Platforming under-represented artists and improvisational projects that don't fit neatly into a Spotify playlist.
Sustainability
Low-impact production, public transport venues, minimal waste, local partnerships.
Collaboration
Partnership with venues, collectives and local networks. We share resources, not compete for them.
Community
Artist callouts, feedback loops, mailing list conversations. We build with people, not at them.
As a CIC
We're a registered Community Interest Company (Company No. 16717429), a social enterprise structure that means our profits are locked to our mission. No shareholders, no dividends, no exit strategy. Just music, community, and the slow work of building something that lasts.
We operate as a single-founder model, contracting freelancers for technical and creative roles per project. We reinvest surpluses into community initiatives and artist development.