In collaboration with
- Words Notion Staff
In partnership with Studio Monkey Shoulder, community collective Orii talk through their journey so far.
Born during the pandemic to ease the isolation faced by London’s musicians and creatives, Orii began as low-key weekly jam sessions that quickly became a lifeforce: a space to reconnect, collaborate, and heal through music. Every Monday at Colour Factory and every Tuesday at Jumbi, Orii creates spaces rooted in safety, inclusivity, and unfiltered expression – especially for minoritized artists.
As a registered Community Interest Company with an all-female, POC-led board, they’ve remained dedicated to collaboration while growing sustainably. Their sessions lead with non-judgement and trust, welcoming musicians of all levels to create freely, with hosts who set a tone of respect, sincerity, and love.
In partnership with Studio Monkey Shoulder – the initiative championing grassroots music – this How To Guide, Orii shares the practical steps, philosophy, and lessons learned in building a collective that thrives. From nurturing open creative spaces to managing decision-making, overcoming funding challenges, and staying grounded in community, Orii offers an essential blueprint for anyone looking to spark their own collaborative movement.
What were the first steps you took to form Orii as a collaborative music collective?
Orii began during the pandemic, born out of the sense of isolation many musicians and creatives were experiencing. What started as a low-key, weekly jam session soon became a lifeforce – a space to reconnect, collaborate, and heal through music. From the outset, our mission has been to serve the London creative scene, particularly POC artists, by creating a space rooted in safety, inclusivity, and unfiltered expression. Our now 2x weekly jams are still guided by that original intention.
How do you ensure that collaboration remains central as the community grows?
As Orii has grown, we’ve worked hard to ensure collaboration remains at our core. We recently registered as a CIC (Community Interest Company) and established an all-female, POC-led board of directors to guide our direction. We regularly invite collectives, labels, and artists we admire to take over our sessions – ensuring fresh perspectives and mutual exchange remain central to our ethos. Orii was born from collaboration, and that continues to be our driving force.
How do you create an environment that encourages new members to actively participate?
We lead with non-judgement and trust. Our sessions are designed to be open, welcoming, and nurturing spaces where musicians of all levels feel encouraged to create. Our hosts play a key role in setting the tone—gently enforcing boundaries rooted in respect, and guiding sessions with sincerity and love. This creates an atmosphere where vulnerability is welcomed and expression is celebrated. Sunshine The Afrooist, one of our core hosts, is a master in connecting with a higher force and channelling this into our jam sessions, raising the frequency of all in attendance.
What role does space – physical or digital – play in supporting collaboration within Orii?
Space is a core part of Orii – we adapt as a community to whichever space we inhabit. Take Orii East, our Monday jam session at Colour Factory, and Orii South, our Tuesday jam session at Jumbi – these events are cohesive, but entirely distinct in vibe, feel, and crowd. The space in which we jam feeds into the energy which we generate week on week, and so we wholly value having a home in these vital black-owned spaces in London. Digitally, we have always utilised our social platforms to feed back the energy created in our weekly sessions. The jammers, in that way, dictate the tone and content that we show online – ensuring that it is always unique, and rooted in the reality of connection and collaboration that each jam session embraces.
How do you approach decision-making to keep things democratic, fair and inclusive?
Decision-making is wholly collaborative – we invite all core members of our community to offer feedback, lead on ideas and new projects, and we always welcome feedback from our extended community too. We approach decision-making in keeping the life force of ORII alive and well – whether that comes down to creative decisions, financials, structurtal, logistical – we seek advice from our peers, input from our community, and the vital perspective of our freelancers, creatives and musicians who make up our weekly jam sessions.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome since starting Orii?
Operating a grassroots collective post-Covid, with minimal external funding, has been incredibly challenging. We’ve remained financially independent – relying on the dedication of our team, our community, and supportive partners. There’s an ongoing need for funding across the UK’s creative sector, and accessing support requires time, energy, and often specialist knowledge. We’re actively working to secure funding as a CIC to ensure our weekly jams and future projects can continue to grow our community and enable them to thrive within their chosen sector.
What advice would you give to others trying to start a collective without much funding?
Start with purpose, but don’t ignore sustainability. Before diving in, try to build up some financial stability or alternative income streams. Running a grassroots collective is rewarding, but resource-intensive. Funding exists, but it’s competitive, requires time-consuming applications, and often specialist skills. Build a strong support network, know your mission, and stay grounded in community – those are your most valuable resources.
Which creative communities did you take inspiration from when starting Orii?
Steamdown was a big influence. As one of the longest-standing POC-led jam sessions in London, they paved the way for collectives like ours. Their example showed us what was possible – community-led music with cultural consciousness and deep roots.
How have you used the Studio Monkey Shoulder investment to support the Orii community?
Our partnership with Studio Monkey Shoulder has opened so many doors. We’ve performed at We Out Here Festival, helped launch Qube Studios in Elephant & Castle, and received funding to develop our newest initiative, ORII CLUB. Their support has directly contributed to real opportunities for our community – and we’re excited as to what else we’ll be able to cultivate with their support.
What’s next for Orii?
Next up we’re working on releasing music, as we slowly build what we’ve created over the past 4 years into a fully-fledged independent label. As our jams continue, and we present our artists in institutions across the UK and Europe, we want to continue to be in service to our community, and releasing music is the next step in that purpose. We’re also working hard to plan our first national ORII JAM UK TOUR, currently on the look-out for like-minded venues and promoters across the UK to host us in 2026. Stay locked!