Our ever-evolving songbook can be found at www.auntieshanty.org.

We respect the history and tradition of shanties but also respect the diversity of people who come to the session. Our session is primarily a social space and we recognise that many of the views voiced in shanties are not appropriate to sing in this setting.

What we're about:

1) Finding and sharing songs from different perspectives, e.g. songs about female sailors or fisherwomen.

2) Rescuing some of the cracking shanty tunes from racist/misogynist lyrics through re-wordings, re-genderings and good old fashioned irony. This doesn't mean we can't enjoy a some fun swearing/innuendos/(consensual) sex jokes. Just be mindful that a diverse audience will be singing along, so keep things respectful. Chat to us with any thoughts or questions - we're still learning how to get the balance.

3) Making space in the session for those with quieter or less confident voices.

4) Not judging people who are reading lyrics from their phone/forget half way through/who don't get it quite right/who break into Tom Jones half way through the night (this has happened before)! It's all about having a bash and not taking it too seriously.

5) Listening and learning all the time. Feedback and ideas always welcome.

Founded by Hannah Jakes in 2015. Now captained by Rosie Sharkey.