ShUKEspeare’s sistas story

One of the longest-running workshops at Brook, our Ukulele Jam has been part of the Hub almost since the very beginning. In this new piece for our blog, Jenny Yates looks back at the group’s first 18 months with us, and shares what they are planning next.

ShUKEspeare’s sistas story

When I’ve been asked to write this blog piece, we were attending the wonderful and thought-provoking movie named “The Happy Film” which a few of us from our uke group went to. We chatted with Sophie before people arrived about how our uke group had been going so here is a few musings about that very topic…

We started only a few weeks after the official opening of Brook Arts Hub back in April 2025, so have seen the amazing transformation that the hub has undergone. It has such a lovely vibe, so a perfect place to start a whole new musical project for women coming together, singing their hearts out whilst playing (or learning to play) this mini stringed instrument from Hawaii!

So how did ShUKEspeare’s Sistas actually start?

I had been involved in a lovely mixed uke group in Leamington Spa but wanted something a little closer to home. I had chatted about my little dream of perhaps creating something myself, in late 2024, with one of my good friends. Next thing, she had bought a second-hand ukulele and this was where the seed was sowed and started to grow!

Brook Arts Hub became the perfect place for us to try to start our group. Based locally in Shottery was a big tick for us. We had no idea how it would pan out though. I met up with Sophie and I loved her warmth, energy and passion for the hub - so I thought let’s give it a go. I recruited a couple of other enthusiastic women (all beginners) and we were away. Sophie has been totally wonderful from the start - supporting us, and being genuinely interested in how our group was going.

The space is perfect for us

Surrounded by beautiful artwork that changes each time we come together, inspiring our own creativity in semi-quaver form! We use the Hub's projector for our Guitar tabs app, this provides us with our chords and lyrics, which we appreciate enormously.

So what are we like?

I have my own perspective but from the beginning I wanted our group to be as non-hierarchical as possible - so I put this out to the group on our WhatsApp chat asking for one word to describe our group from each of them and this what I received:

Supportive

Welcoming

Open

Neuroaffirmative

Included

Fun

Nourishing

Uplifting

Joyous

Playful

Supecalifraiglisticexpialidocious

Affirming

We aren’t your run of the mill ukulele group - we often take quite a different stance on what to play including Clash and Pulp numbers in our regular repertoire. We will often fall about laughing when we try a song and it just doesn’t work - "Zombie" by the Cranberries is a fantastic song, but unfortunately, I remember our version and it will remain laughed off into the sunset… Lingers long in the memory and not in a good way! But the giggles were worth it. Our group does like to laugh.

We have a regular ukulele bass player - same as a bass, just smaller - which holds us all together rhythmically. Plus, a baritone player (the same tuning as a guitar but just the bottom four strings).  Sometimes my melodica makes an appearance too which is a mini keyboard wind instrument. We also love to sing harmonies, so with all these elements, we have a richness of sound together.

What’s an average session like? 

We start at 7.00pm-ish…and finish at 8.30pm (or so) every fortnight on a Tuesday evening. We will play a few of our regular “Busking” playlist inter-weaved with requests shouted out by our group members for me to find on Guitar tabs. So, we could be playing ABBA one minute and then The Pogues, Patti Smith or Blondie the next. It’s all meant to be light hearted, relaxing and fun.

We have a number of neurodiverse members who enjoy coming and find the group to be warm and accepting. We want the space to be as welcoming to all types of women as possible - so yes guys, you’re not invited but there are plenty of other uke groups in Stratford that will welcome you!

For those who are considering joining us, you can get in touch. 

It’s only £3 a session and you get the first one free to see whether it is for you or not. All of the £3 go straight back to Brook Arts Hub as we very much want to support this amazing little place.

Newbies are important to us

If you don’t have a uke, don’t worry. I have some lovely spare instruments, so you can just come along and try without making any financial commitments. Our beginners are encouraged to try but often will just join in singing at first whilst the chords come a little later. There are no expectations for beginners and our group are so lovely and welcoming - we always help newbies to start out, even just one chord and singing to begin with is great!

Where did our name “ShUKEspeare’s sistas” come from? 

We didn’t have a name for the first few month’s which was a little tricky. But whilst I was at a music festival last summer, it suddenly came to me with the help from mates who were talking about obscure band names! A take on Shakespeare’s sister - the all-female 80s pop duo - and with our close proximity to Anne Hathaway’s cottage it fitted perfectly.

On the social side

We have done a fair amount of social stuff, although it is always purely an invitation if members would like to join us. Our group is diverse and rich in our togetherness and even those who find these things more tricky have come along and enjoyed them.

Here’s a few things we’ve done together in the last year:

Ukulele Orchestra of GB at Warwick Arts Centre, Christmas do at Prospero, a few drink meet ups throughout the year, Swan Sessions in Warwick, Kate Bush Wuthering Heights red dress day in Stratford , Ukulele Festival of GB in Cheltenham, The Big Picture Film Festival - 2 x films attended, a couple of pop-up sessions down the Dell in Stratford

….and for the future…

Venturing outside

We’re planning on going busking in town at some point and raising much needed funds for Shakespeare Hospice and Brook Arts Hub. We’ll likely meet for a Christmas get-together later this year, another dose of the excellent Ukulele Orchestra of GB next February and we’re looking at possibly attending Shrewkfest 2027 next summer along with anything else we plan in the meantime.

Creativity and connection

Friendships have formed over the last 18 months and more people have been joining us too. We have many regulars and some who find life gets in the way a bit but then come back. Our door will always be open to women who want to play uke, sing and create a slice of joy together! We certainly need that in the world right now - an escape and a place for creativity, connection and aliveness - really what I think Brook Arts Hub represents. Like the place we practice in every fortnight, we have a huge beating heart!

We are hugely grateful to Sophie and all at Brook Arts Hub - the support is invaluable.

We’ve not just created a uke group, we’ve created a little community - that is continuing to expand!

I feel truly blessed to be part of such a willing and wonderful group of women.

By Jenny Yates