Calling all makers, creators, artists, and artisans among us. We are a creative community, so let’s show off! Please come and display (and sell if you want) your creations at our Winter market, after the assembly on Sunday 7th December.
If you’d like to run a stall, email Tanya at community@sundayassembly.com
If you aren’t planning to run a stall, you have the opportunity to admire our community members’ unique and fantastic creations and get a head start on your holiday season shopping! Come and have a look and talk with the makers. Be ready to be amazed, intrigued, and dazzled!
Have you got your Yule Rock ticket yet?
Sing Christmas pop loud and proud, with a live band and a room big enough for 200 very festive people.
It’s happening on Friday 12th December at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. Find out more about the Yule Rock magic and get tickets at https://bit.ly/yulerock25
From Hollywood heroes to social media influencers, our culture today is full of mixed messages about what it means to be a man. These myths of toughness, dominance and emotional silence have shaped generations and left many men disconnected from themselves and others.
By unpicking these stories, we can live more thoughtfully and supportively.
Our guest speaker: Kris Genijn
Kris Genijn leads De-Masking Masculinity workshops at transformational festivals like Medicine, Nowhere and Burning Nest. He blends humour, vulnerability and cultural critique to ask: what have we lost in trying to “man up”?
Kris will invite us to consider how tenderness, play and presence can be reclaimed as strengths, helping us move beyond stereotypes.
Our guest poet: Leilah King
Giving us a different perspective on identity, Leilah is a stand-up poet whose writing lets us into her experiences as a half-Iranian queer footballer and coach and mental health advocate.
About Sunday Assembly London
Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.
Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.
Sing Christmas pop loud and proud, with a live band and a room big enough for 200 very festive people.
It’s happening on Friday 12th December at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. Find out more about the Yule Rock magic and get tickets at https://bit.ly/yulerock25
When the weather is good we eat outside and ask people to bring blankets and food to share. On colder days, we head for a local restaurant, café or pub that serves food. (We’ll confirm which one during the assembly.)
Keep an eye on the weather and event listing in case we need to change venue. And if you have any portable games, bring them too. Newcomers are very welcome.
Have you got your Yule Rock ticket yet?
Sing Christmas pop loud and proud, with a live band and a room big enough for 200 very festive people.
It’s happening on Friday 12th December at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. Find out more about the Yule Rock magic and get tickets at https://bit.ly/yulerock25
Stress touches every one of us – shaping our health, our relationships, and the way we experience daily life.
Our guest speaker: Neil Shah
Ahead of National Stress Awareness Day on 5th November, we welcomed Neil Shah, founder of the Stress Management Society and a leading voice on resilience and wellbeing.
Neil is the driving force behind Stress Awareness Month, a national campaign raising awareness of the impact of stress and how we can manage it together. His mission: to empower people to live happier, healthier lives.
Neil explained how his own mental health experiences have motivated his work, and how suicide rates and stress have increased in recent years as community cohesion has decreased. He also gave the first public performance of a poem on these themes, expressing how what we may see as breakages are ways to let the light in.
We were also treated to a performance by the newly formed Sunday Assembly London choir. Following their rehearsal on 22 October, they performed Focus Is Power by Self Esteem.
Our songs
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They had lyrics reflecting today’s theme.
Three Little Birds – Bob Marley and The Wailers
Hand In My Pocket – Alanis Morrissette
I’ll Stand By You – Pretenders
Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac
About Sunday Assembly London
Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.
Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.
And coming up on 21st December: Yule Never Believe It: The Rational Benefits of Shrines, Ceremonies and Divination
For even more community joy… join us at Yule Rock ’25!
Sing Christmas pop loud and proud, with a live band and a room big enough for 200 very festive people.
It’s happening on Friday 12th December at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. Find out more about the Yule Rock magic and get tickets at https://bit.ly/yulerock25
Our Summer Sync-Up deserved a sequel! We planned an array of fun activities to go alongside our autumn assemblies, including…
Halloween Bake Off – Sunday 19th October
‘Today’s assembly comes with extra cake! Whether you’re making, tasting or both, help us turn Backyard into Bake-yard. With Halloween as our theme, it could be a case of “traybake or treat?” (That’s all the wordplay we’ve got for now, though we may have a pun in the oven.)’
Thanks to everyone who took the time to bake delicious treats for our bake off, with flavours ranging from pumpkin to banoffee. They were both eerie and cherry. Some of the treats went so fast it was almost like they were never there…
Sunday Assembly London one-day choir – Wednesday 22nd October, Sunday 2nd November
Reviving a little bit of Sunday Assembly heritage. Following a rehearsal in October, our pop-up choir (or do we mean pipe-up choir?) performed an uplifting song for our fellow Sunday Assemblers during our first November assembly (or “Novembly” as no one was calling it) on the 2nd, Keep Calm And Carry On.
This was a perfect opportunity for Sunday Assembly Londoners who want to try being in a choir but can’t commit to regular weekly rehearsals and frequent events or shows.
The chosen song was Focus Is Power by Self Esteem.
Thank you to the choir for reinforcing the power of literally singing from the same songsheet.
For even more singing joy… join us at Yule Rock ’25!
Sing Christmas pop loud and proud, with a live band and a room big enough for 200 very festive people.
It’s happening on Friday 12 December at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. Find out more about the Yule Rock magic and get your tickets at https://bit.ly/yulerock25
Article Club is where the Sunday Assembly London community read a diverse range of articles, share them with like-minded people and deal with our anxiety that we aren’t reading books.
This was our 72nd meeting and it’s never too late to join! Just like at our assemblies, we love welcoming new members and their unique opinions.
How Article Club works
1. We meet every 1-2 months in the National Theatre building in Central London by the river. We go for the round seats in the Lyttelton Theatre bar on the first floor.
2. We vote in advance and pick two articles from a short list to read before we meet. Usually one relates to politics/current affairs and the other to history, culture or science.
3. We talk about each one for around half an hour. The beauty of Article Club is that we can think more deeply about the broader themes of a topic, and how well the article gets to grips with them.
4. We each give a score out of 10 for the articles that have been discussed.
5. We set the date for the next Article Club and sometimes adjourn to the pub.
Look out for details of our next Article Club. And to meet more of the Sunday Assembly London community while learning about a new or familiar topic, you’re always welcome at our Sunday Assemblies too!
Did you know some people can taste words or see music? Welcome to the fascinating world of synaesthesia: a unique way of experiencing the world where the senses blend together.
Our guest speaker: Mary Spiller
Mary Spiller, Senior Lecturer at the University of East London, offered us a glimpse into this wondrous phenomenon.
Mary’s research explores how our senses can cross-wire in surprising and creative ways, opening up fresh ways of seeing the world.
Our guest poet: Lydia Daisy
We’re thrilled to welcome Lydia back. Artful in her words and her performance, she expressed her defiance of a system that treats creativity as a threat.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They reflected the title of today’s talk.
Karma Chameleon – Culture Club
Red Red Wine – UB40 version
True Colours – Cyndi Lauper
Gold – Spandau Ballet
Halloween Bake Off
Thanks to everyone who took the time to bake delicious treats for our bake off, with flavours ranging from pumpkin to banoffee. They were both eerie and cherry. Some of the treats went so fast it was almost like they were never there…
Our next Autumn Awesomeness activity will be our one-shot choir, performing on 2nd November.
About Sunday Assembly London
Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.
Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.
We’ve been itching to announce this year’s Yule Rock, our annual large-scale singalong of Christmas pop songs. And only some of that itching is being caused by our festive jumpers and antler headbands.
What is Yule Rock?
As reliable as an over-illuminated convoy of soft drink trucks, but with far more musical variety, Yule Rock is an evening for unashamedly celebrating the combination of communal singing and classic pop that is unbeatable at Christmas time: a combination that brings people together in joy and harmony (harmonies not guaranteed) like no other festive tradition can.
Yule Rock was acclaimed as one of London’s top ten December activities by Visit London in 2022.
Where and when is it happening?
This year, Yule Rock takes place at Rich Mix in Shoreditch on Friday 12th December from 7:30pm.
It has its ideal compère in Helen Arney: comedian, presenter and geek songstress, hosting Yule Rock for the second year running.
Because belting out festive favourites is thirsty work, there will be a bar. There will also be a raffle.
How is Yule Rock different from Sunday Assembly London’s usual events?
Yule Rock builds on a key part of our twice-monthly gatherings at Backyard Comedy Club, where everyone’s invited to sing along to four pop songs in a welcoming non-religious environment. The songs are performed by our in-house band, loosely matched to the topic of each assembly’s guest speaker’s talk, and accompanied by a projected slideshow of the lyrics. This mass karaoke has been a staple of Sunday Assembly London’s appeal since its beginnings in 2013.
Yule Rock goes bigger, bolder and baublier than a standard Sunday Assembly. It boasts more band members, 20 songs and a larger venue, with room for 200.
When I get festive, I get really festive. Can Yule Rock handle that?
Yes! We encourage everyone to dress in their Yuletide best and sing their hearts out.
Yule Rock is for anyone who treats Whamageddon as their winter wonderland, who’d never throw shade on Slade, and who knows when it’s time to swap Noel & Liam for pure Noël. The boys of the NYPD choir will approve, even if the fashion police won’t.
Sum it up for me.
Yule Rock is a fine tradition, a firm prediction (if you like puns) and, for the family and friendship groups that come back year after year, a fun addiction.
Our volunteer-led team work hard to make it an unforgettable evening. We can’t wait to add some vocal sparkle to your festive season.
If I wait until December to decide, will there still be tickets?
We can’t guarantee it. Based on Yule Rock 2024 sales, we’re expecting 2025 to be a sell-out. This year, to save you from tears (except the ‘of joy’ kind), we really do recommend booking your tickets now!
We believe firmly in the wonder of singing together. Today we welcomed another organisation using the power of collective song to empower, build connection, confidence and joy.
Our guest speaker: Kate Wareham
The Choir With No Name is a unique community choir made up of people who have experienced homelessness or marginalisation. Kate Wareham, their CEO, shared some of the community’s moving stories about how music creates a safe, inclusive space where people find their voices.
Kate has a PhD in music psychology, focusing on music and homelessness. Before Choir with No Name, she worked in community and arts organisations including The Children’s Society, Yorkshire Dance, St John Ambulance and Home-Start.
We were also led through some fun games by our resident Games Master Matt Lockwood.
Our songs
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They reflected today’s theme.
Sing – Travis
Make Your Own Kind of Music – Mama Cass Elliot
Your Song – Elton John
Scare Away the Dark – Passenger
And talking of choirs…
Would you like to join our next community choir: rehearsing on 22nd October and performing a song at our assembly on 2nd November?
Or perhaps you like to make something for the Halloween Bake Off that’ll be taking place at our assembly on 19th October? Find out more about our assembly-adjacent activities here.
About Sunday Assembly London
Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.
Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.
We live in a weird world! And according to polls, over half the UK population believes some it may be down to paranormal phenomena.
Every ancient society we know of had some kind of supernatural belief system. Statistics suggest, even today, a steady increase in interest in this realm of enquiry.
But can belief in, and reported experience of, paranormal phenomena, actually be explained in terms of psychological factors?
Our guest speaker: Chris French
We welcomed back Professor Chris French, Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London. Chris talked about the remarkable field of anomalistic psychology: the psychology of strange experiences and behaviours.
Chris’s entertaining, insightful talk demonstrated the scientific backing for healthy scepticism.
As usual, there were four pop songs performed by our Sunday Assembly London band. They reflected today’s theme and today’s date.
Bad Day – Daniel Powter
Ghost Riders in the Sky – Johnny Cash
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
September – Earth, Wind & Fire (it’s about the 21st of September!)
Thank you to the volunteers who stepped up to become our impromptu singers alongside our band. A true Earth, Wind & Choir Day!
Autumn Awesomeness
Talking of choirs, would you like to join our next community choir: rehearsing on 22nd October and performing a song at our assembly on 2nd November? Or perhaps you like to make something for the Halloween Bake Off that’ll be taking place at our assembly on 19th October? Find out more about our assembly-adjacent activities here.
Thank you
What a great blend of attendees we had today too. From regulars who’ve been coming since Sunday Assembly London started in 2013, to first-timers, to visitors from Sunday Assembly Brighton and Sunday Assembly LA!
There’ll be even more intercity assembling at Sunday Assembly’s annual gathering happening next weekend in Glasgow. Details here.
About Sunday Assembly London
Sunday Assembly London is your regular and reliable stop for a welcoming, accessible and inspiring Sunday community, where you can hear talks and poetry, sing songs and make new friends.
Stay after for tea, biscuits, and chat in the Backyard Comedy Club. Then join us for a local meal, picnic, or a drink and card games at the pub.
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